An efficient road transport system is vital to the economic and social prosperity of Victoria. This section focuses on the strategies which guide VicRoads' approach to providing an efficient road transport system.
The following strategies are essential to the efficient management of Victoria's roads and bridges.
Victoria's social vitality and economic growth depends on a well functioning transport system. The system needs to enable people and freight to move easily across regional Victoria and the Melbourne metropolitan area. Policies such as Victorian Transport Plan set out directions and initiatives. These follow the key Government policy direction of integrating land use and transport planning.
The Government has released a new transport plan aimed at providing better transport and more jobs for Victoria.
The Victorian Transport Plan is a $38 billion commitment to deliver short, medium and long term projects for our cities, regional centres and our rural areas.
Just as it makes good sense to repaint a weatherboard house rather than to allow the timber to rot away and need replacement, the same principle applies to roads. Regular maintenance to keep road surfaces watertight, regulate surface shape and strengthen failing materials is a cost-effective way of reducing pavement deterioration and postponing more expensive treatments.
This strategy considers all the values and requirements of the roadside (any non-paved areas within road reserve, including land either side of the road between carriageways), treating the roadside as a comprehensive asset and identifies key goals and objectives. It addresses stakeholder requirements and community perceptions, without compromising safety.
Bridges are critical links in the road network. The Victorian Arterial Bridge Strategy assists VicRoads in the management of structures on the arterial road system. The strategy aims to;
- optimise accessibility, mobility and freight efficiency in a safe and environmentally friendly manner for the Victorian community
- ensure that the bridge assets are managed in a manner that balances road transport needs with maintenance funding.