MAJOR Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) have responded to concerns raised by Kiewa Valley locals, confirming that arrangements are being made to rectify damage to transport routes to and from the Bogong High Plains Road landslip site. Alpine Shire Council’s January meeting saw Kiewa Valley resident Mary Pike raise the issue, asking councillors if they would be paying for the damage. “I just wanted to check with the shire if they were able to ensure the Victorian Government would reinstate roads in Kiewa Valley being wrecked by the trucks that are clearing the landslip,” she said. “At the moment they’re travelling in duos which makes it harder and the roads in town, especially around Embankment Drive, are in bad condition on the bends. “I hope the shire doesn’t have to pay for them, can they make sure the Victorian Government does.” Mayor John Forsyth assured Ms Pike that the issue had been raised during meetings with MRPV and Vic Roads. Ms Pike last week told the Myrtleford Times/Alpine Observer that transport on local roads has been constant for over a year. “They are all B-doubles doing this work and are exceptionally heavy, so every time they travel on the road it’s starting to create grooves and when it rains you can see it quite clearly,” she said. “They’re also pushing the surface of the road when going around bends in hot weather and all the way down the highway down Embankment Drive, all around there to Damms Road. “Around the outskirts of town the edges of the roads are breaking down. “They were in reasonable condition before this and I just wanted to make sure they’ll be repaired.” Local resident Barbara Talbot voiced her support for the work being done and was confident the roads would be fixed. “The drivers sleep in our town, buy food in our town, go to the supermarket, support local charities and yes they start at 6am and finish by 6pm but they’re also a great advantage to our town,” she said. “In the winter we have many buses come through and no one whinge about them, as well as semi trailers bringing food and petrol. “We’ve certainly had more traffic on the road but I don’t think the landslide was an intentional thing to annoy people. “We must get it fixed to get people up to Falls Creek; a great money earner for us, and we can’t do that without fixing that road. “Major Roads Victoria do the best they can with money they’re allocated and the drivers operating the trucks are earth moving people who have been doing it in Gippsland for 50 years so they know the problems that can and do arise and what to do about them.” Tawonga resident Mark Redmond said the works were a “necessary evil”. “I personally think it's a necessary evil; the workers are doing a great job to restore the road in the quickest way possible,” he said. “I think the thing for government is that they’ve got to have a remedial plan in place and that’s the critical thing. “There will be some damage but I can’t say if it’s definitely the trucks or simply visitor and local traffic; we’ve had so much water in recent times with potholes appearing overnight from rain. “I wouldn’t be able to isolate how much is caused by these trucks, there’s a range of factors causing potholes around the shire, I hope the government has got some remedial plans. “If they can put that together with repairing the damage caused by fallen trees in the recent storm event then we would be happy people.” MRPV program director Dipal Sorathia said MRPV will continue to work closely with the Department of Transport and Planning on delivering this project and monitoring the condition surrounding roads. “Our construction partners regularly monitor the condition of Bogong High Plains Road within the project zone as we get on with the job of reinstating two-way access,” he said. ”Arrangements are being made to rectify Embankment Drive, which is used as a major haulage route to transport debris material from Bogong High Plains Road Landslip site to Wermatong Pit.”
