By Renee Wood
Melba Highway still remains closed with no end in sight for the main thoroughfare’s road closure.
The road between Yering and Yarra Glen was closed last week due to rising flood waters with water continuing to flow into the area this week.
Department of Transport spokesperson said much of the road remains underwater.
“Our experts will make a plan to re-open the Melba Highway once they are able to assess its condition,” they said.
DoT spokesperson said safety will not be compromised.
“While we understand that ongoing closures can be frustrating for drivers, we will not compromise on safety and will only re-open this road when it is safe to do so.”
Drivers are urged to check any closures on the VicTraffic website or app if you’re traveling along detours avoid using GPS and follow the detour signage.
While drivers might be familiar with the area and these roads might look safe to the eye, we need to work with emergency services to ensure that they’re safe to re-open to the public.
If drivers come across floodwaters, there’s also the reminder to stop and avoid the road as it’s what’s underneath the water that’s an issue as the road may have washed away or dangerous debris may be present.
A number of bridges and other structures in flood-affected areas are also awaiting assessment by structural engineers to assess their stability.
