By DANNY BUTTLER
PREMIER Denis Napthine said road repairs had too often been “patch-up jobs” as he announced an upgrade to the South Gippsland Highway.
At a bleak press conference at a disused service station on a bitterly cold Wednesday afternoon last week, Mr Napthine said the $3.64 million upgrade would be built to last.
Four sections, or a total of 3.1 kilometres, of the South Gippsland Highway would be strengthened and restored between Caldermeade Road and Sybella Avenue.
The road has been the scene of a number of terrible accidents over the years and is often uneven, featuring a patchwork of repair jobs.
“Too often we have seen patch-up jobs in the past that needed to be fixed up weeks and months later, what we want to do is do this and do it properly,” he said.
“This is not just fixing up the roads … . it’s actually rebuilding it, strengthening and enhancing it, so we actually have less damage in the future.
“This will go out to tender shortly and the work will be done when conditions dry out so we can actually do the job and do it properly.”
Dr Napthine was joined at the disused Caltex station at the corner of Sybella Avenue and the highway by Member for Bass Ken Smith, Member for Eastern Victoria Region Edward O’Donohue, Cardinia Mayor Graeme Moore and Liberal candidate for Bass Brian Paynter.
Dr Napthine paid tribute to the retiring member for Bass, saying he had fought long and hard to secure funding for the region’s roads.
“I can say that Ken Smith, for 26 years in the parliament, every second time he has opened his mouth it was about the South Gippsland Highway,” he said.
Roadworks on the South Gippsland Highway are expected to begin in November and be completed in the drier summer months.
“Our roads are the lifeblood of country Victoria,” Dr Napthine said.
“We also know that this highway here has about 11,000 vehicles a day, many of which are B-double trucks (making this) one of the most heavily used roads in country Victoria.”
