Gillies Street North set for summer maintenance works

Wendouree residents are concerned with the state of a worn down section outside Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, with some locals able to hear trucks rumble over rough patches from hundreds of metres away.

The stretch features a large pothole several metres long to the school side and several uneven patches of bitumen, with much of the surface on the edges and between the two lanes covered in loose stones.

In a written response to The Courier, VicRoads operations manager Brad Pryor said repair works would be undertaken this summer on the stretch between Howitt Street and McKenzie Drive.

“These works will involve patching the problem areas with asphalt and then resealing the entire length of road,” Mr Pryor said.

“In the coming months, we will also start resurfacing projects to improve sections of Gillies Street, near Stockland Wendouree and Victoria Street at the eastern entrance to Ballarat. These are part of an $11.6 million program in western Victoria.

“Over the winter months, maintenance crews temporarily fix potholes by using asphalt, however some repairs require the use of different materials. More permanent fixes are only able to be completed when weather conditions are warmer and the road is dry.”

Mr Pryor did not say what other local arterial roads are prioritised for maintenance works.

Local Bob Beckerleg said the section near the school was hazardous for drivers.

“This has been like this now off and on for over 12 months. It’s just cracking up slowly now.

“There are cars going to and from the village (Stockland Wendouree) here and down to the markets.

“One day, someone is going to hit some of this (loose stones) and hit their brakes hard, and it’s just like marbles.”

Resident Steve Matthews said the state of the road was disappointing, given the large number of trucks that use it.

“I can hear the rattle from my place and we got a lot of cattle trucks come up here,” he said.

“This should be one of the best roads in Ballarat. It’s one of the busiest. It probably does (need a repair). It needs to be really dug up and re-done.”

More than 9400 vehicles use the road daily, with 760 of those classified as heavy vehicles.