Coimadai residents fear that potholes littered across a busy stretch of Gisborne Road are putting motorists’ lives at risk.
James Ross, who lives in Gisborne Road, said he and his son were almost run off the road as a driver swerved to miss one of the holes.
“It’s only a matter of time before a car driving along at night ignores the hazard signs and flies right over it,” he said.
“It’s so deep it would send a car airborne and a head-on collision may be the outcome.”
Mr Ross said the length of road between Coimadai-Diggers Rest Road and Bennetts Lane had been in disrepair for years.
In December last year, VicRoads advised him that the section would not be cut out and replaced due to budget constraints.
“All they did was fill the potholes with new tar, and as soon as a heavy vehicle went over it, it was pushed back up and actually made worse,” Mr Ross said. “And with so many trucks going over it, rocks have been spraying everywhere.” Following inquiries from Mr Ross and the
Weekly, repairmen fixed one of the worst-affected areas last Wednesday.
“That was fixed properly, but the whole road needs work,” Mr Ross said.
In a letter to VicRoads, Ballarat Labor MP Catherine King said the road’s condition was a risk to public safety.
“With only one lane either way and no overtaking ability, this has potential to be a significant traffic hazard.”
VicRoads did not respond to questions before the Weekly deadline.
