Roads across regional Victoria are suffering from neglect and a lack of maintenance, and the Melba Highway is no exception, according to Eildon MP Cindy McLeish.
Speaking in Parliament, Ms McLeish called on the Minister for Roads to immediately provide funding and resources to fix the problems on the Melba Highway.
“Potholes, broken surfaces and ruts along the Melba Highway grow by the day, both in size and in number. The condition of the highway is definitely not helped by poor drainage which plagues the road network,” Ms McLeish said.
“It is hard to tell exactly where the worst spots are because there are so many. I drive along the Melba frequently and have seen the damage first hand.”
“There are many areas that need attention. The State Labor Government has forgotten this highway and certainly Victorian roads.”
The Melba Highway is a key highway for north–south traffic. It is a popular route for those coming from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to the Hume Highway through Benalla.
Ms McLeish said when Victoria lifts restrictions post-Covid, road conditions will only further deteriorate with the large volume of traffic.
She said she has been fighting for various road repairs along the Melba Highway since 2016 and has never seen it in a worse state.
“The damage caused along the Melba Highway is making driving conditions dangerous. The Andrews Labor government needs to stop ignoring the deteriorating condition of regional roads and take action to repair them.”
Ms McLeish said upgrades are needed to add more overtaking lanes and slip lanes to help people turn safely.
“What drivers do not need is more ‘Rough surface’ signs or reductions in speed limits at dodgy patches.”
