Flood response and recovery

Heavy rainfalls and damaging winds have impacted many parts of Victoria since mid-October 2022.

Communities in Western, Loddon Mallee and Hume regions, as well as Maribrynong in the metropolitan region, have been impacted greatly.

Since the beginning of the flood emergency, more than 500 roads have been closed, with 150 already reopened. 

As part of a $351 million Victorian State Government package to help support communities impacted by the floods, a $165 million has been allocated to an emergency road repair blitz. 

These funds will go towards finding and fixing potholes, asphalting and repairing road surfaces damaged by the recent floods. It will also cover large-scale works like rebuilding roads, bridges and culverts, particularly in the hardest hit areas of Western, Loddon Mallee and Hume regions.

The funding will help reconnect communities and, in particular, get the state’s vital freight industry moving again.

With more rain forecast in the coming days, the immediate focus is on making key roads usable and safe for emergency services and freight, so vital supplies can reach affected communities as quickly as possible. 

Major Roads Projects Victoria is working closely with contractors across the Big Build’s road program  who have offered to join in a coordinated effort with Regional Roads Victoria to repair roads impacted by the weather event.

Where water levels have subsided to safe levels and emergency services deem it safe to do so, road crews are working around the clock to restore access. In just a few days, hundreds of crews have already undertaken more than 500 individual inspections, found and fixed 10,000 potholes and attended more than 20 landslips right across Victoria.

Crews have already made significant progress on repairs on the Hume Freeway, the Western Highway, the Goulburn Valley Freeway and the Murray Valley Highway.

Crews are working hard to repair roads impacted by the recent flooding.

What this means for you

Many major roads in impacted regions are closed or impacted by flood water. Several local roads are also impassable, while others are cause for concern as flood waters move through. 

Those who encounter detours are urged not follow GPS, rather they should follow the detour signs in place. 

Stay safe by never driving through floodwater. It can take just 15cm of flowing water to float a car - That’s the height of an average pen. 

Find alternative travel routes if roads or underpasses are flooded. 

How you can help

Conditions can change quickly and roads may close with little or no notice. If you must travel in bad weather, check current road closures at traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au or via the VicTraffic mobile app. 

Be aware of driving hazards, such as mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen and damaged trees. 

If drivers do encounter any hazards across our road network, including potholes, fallen trees of water over the road, we encourage them to call our customer service hotline on 13 11 70.