Highway havoc

TRAVELLERS coming from South Gippsland may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire, with a new set of roadworks about to commence.
From yesterday, South Gippsland Highway inbound lanes between Caldermeade and Monomeith will be remade, meaning those travelling between Lang Lang and Pakenham will face intermittent roadworks for the best part of 20 kilometres.
The Healesville-Kooweerup Road has been worked on for several months, causing major delays and frustration for motorists.
VicRoads Metro South East Regional Director Aidan McGann said the South Gippsland Highway works would be different to the standard resurfacing of a road.
“We appreciate how important the South Gippsland Highway is,” Mr McGann said.
“We will actually be rebuilding the road, not just resurfacing the top layers. The benefits of this will mean better road drainage and a stronger and smoother road.”
“The downside is that we will be on site for longer and road users will encounter some delays. We are encouraging people to allow up to 10 minutes extra travelling time.”
The roadworks will occur Monday to Friday – 9am to 4.30pm – with a single lane closure and reduced speed limits of 40km/h.
Work should be completed by mid-year.
“The majority of the works will occur during weekdays as we appreciate how many people travel through this region on their weekend breaks,” Mr McGann said.
“Road users will be able to travel through the site at all times with a reduced speed limit, which is in place to keep our roadworkers and the community safe as the road conditions have changed.”