Victoria begins nine-month, $976 million blitz to improve state's roads

Works are now underway to repair and restore Victoria's ravaged roads, but critics are sceptical and hoping it's not just another temporary patch.

Data collected by the Australian Road Assessment Program reveals 61 per cent of Victoria's roads are not up to standard, significantly increasing the risk of injury or even death.  

The state government has now allocated $976 million to a "better roads blitz", which is scheduled to run for nine months, with 70 per cent of the funds directed towards regional routes. 

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The Hume, Calder, Princes and Western Highways are slated for resurfacing and repairs, while in Melbourne, Leakes, Normanby and Boronia Roads, along with the Warburton Highway and Mornington Peninsula Freeway, are also included in the program. 

According to Roads Minister Melissa Horne, the program will involve "vegetation removal, cleaning up graffiti, [and] inspecting bridges". 

She added that the program "has a lot of flexibility in it, so as we get those periodic condition reports, we can adapt our program".

However, the initiative is facing scrutiny, with some questioning the long-term effectiveness of the proposed repairs. 

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"The potholes they repair, they'll be broken out again in another month's time, so it's totally a bandaid approach," truck driver Owen Chivell said.

"They need to dig the soft spots out of the road," he added.

"They need to knock the shoulders of the side of the roads... and they need to get back to basics."

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.