By Shelby Brooks
Towing companies have seen a huge demand for their services due to the shocking state of major roads in the South East.
Sharon Morrison of Pakenham Towing said the business had seen a ‘ridiculous’ amount of distress calls originating from Healesville-Kooweerup Road and the Princes Highway in recent weeks.
“I don’t recall an unusual amount before October,” Sharon said.
“Melbourne Cup day we got four calls for broken rims in Pakenham.
“We towed one on the Kooweerup-Pakenham Road last Friday and there were six other cars on the side of the road broken down while we were helping our customer. We did two on Saturday from the freeway.”
Sharon said customers were coming in complaining the potholes they hit were as big as 1m x 1m wide.
“It’s getting ridiculous. Every year it’s getting worse and worse,” she said.
“It’s more than just getting a flat. It does really bad damage to the rims and can rip up the tyres.”
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale announced on Tuesday 16 November that the speed limit on Healesville-Kooweerup Road between Soldiers Road and Manks Road had been temporarily dropped to 60km/h.
“Thanks to everyone that has contacted me and importantly also phoned and emailed VicRoads directly,“ she said.
“Having driven that road a lot this last week, I too reported the very rough condition and asked the Roads Minister for a works update. VicRoads are across it as to other areas including the Monash and PI Tourist Rd.
She said the Deptartment of Transport crews needed dry weather and a dry surface to complete the patching works but that crews were going back on site on Tuesday 16 November to assess further and to determine when repairs can be undertaken.
A Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson said Healesville – Kooweerup Road as an arterial road is the responsibility of Department of Transport (Vic Roads) and the Victorian Government.
When asked about the state of Healesville-Kooweerup Road, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said crews regularly inspect the road network for potential hazards and if the hazard poses a safety risk to drivers, a response to this hazard will be arranged immediately.
“Recent heavy rainfall has deteriorated sections of the Healesville-Kooweerup Road, and our crews have been out making repairs where hazards pose an immediate safety risk,” they said.
“In the coming weeks, further maintenance such as pothole filling will be completed to ensure a smoother journey along the road.“
Periods of heavy rainfall like we have had recently can often cause damage to road surfaces, including potholes and hazards which can occur overnight.
As the weather improves within the next few weeks, the Department of Transport will be completing various small scale repairs to ensure any hazards do not cause a safety risk for motorists and prevent potholes from re-appearing within these areas in short- to medium-term.
The department encourages the community to report hazards through our 24-hour Traffic Management Centre hotline (131 170).
If it is proven that the Department of Transport or its contractors have not met the standards set out in the Road Management Plan. An excess threshold of $1,460 applies to all claims.
The Department of Transport is continually investigating and monitoring the condition of Healesville-Kooweerup Road and are ensuring it is safe for all motorists.
