VicRoads is deploying additional roadside maintenance crews around Melbourne to combat rapid grass and vegetation growth alongside the city’s roads.
Announcing the move, VicRoads said additional maintenance teams would be working seven days a week in the lead up to Christmas to overcome the current situation and keep roads and the community safe.
“Higher than average rainfall and warm humid weather have created perfect grass growing conditions this year,” VicRoads said.
“The higher rainfall has also resulted in areas that are flooded or extremely wet, meaning some areas cannot be mown,” it said.
“Work that has the greatest impact on public safety is prioritised, including where vegetation is overgrown and causes a safety issue such as impeding sightlines.
VicRoads said its maintenance program included roadside grass slashing, mowing and weed spraying.
It said that in this year’s maintenance budget, there was additional funding allocated to cleaning up graffiti, grass and weeds.
“We will continue to work alongside councils to identify, plan and deliver a program of works that aims to ensure the roadside is safe,” the Agency said.
“This includes making sure vegetation doesn’t block drivers view, and also reducing fuels on the roadside.”
It said in preparation for summer, crews were also inspecting detour routes and vital entry and exit points to make sure they were clear of obstacles and equipped to handle increased traffic.
“At times, our staff work alongside arborists to assess roadside trees and determine whether they could fall and block detour routes in the event of a fire,” VicRoads said.
“We are examining road surfaces, roadside reserves and ensuring detour signage is in place and easy to follow in the case of emergency.”
