Drivers who travel through the swamp are in for a bumpy ride as well as trying to negotiate numerous road closures. Picture: Stewart Chambers
– Melissa Meehan
DRIVING through Kooweerup and surrounding swamplands has been likened to riding a rollercoaster as road closures have ensured a bumpy ride for drivers.
The corridor from Kooweerup to Lang Lang has been touted by locals as having some of the worst roads in the Cardinia Shire, with residents complaining about driving through pot hole after pot hole.
Kooweerup North’s Allison Backman said works on the desalination pipeline and the Bethunes Bridge closure has made bad roads worse in recent months.
“Main Drain South Road has been blocked off thanks to works on the desal plant,” Ms Backman said.
“So now everyone is using Boundary Drain Road, which is normally the better of the two.”
She said the state of the roads made it difficult to doge potholes, often forcing her to drive the 80 kilometre per hour road at 30km/h.
“Then it’s still bang, bang, bang.”
Ms Backman blames the increased traffic because of the road closures for the poor condition of the roads as well as a combination of desalination works trucks and wet weather.
“Someone will get killed out there if the pot holes aren’t fixed,” she said. “I just hope anyone using the roads does so safely and no one gets hurt.”
Cardinia Shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the council met regularly with desalination works contractors and they had the opportunity to comment on any traffic management plans that are submitted as the works progress.
