Morwell Land Movement Community Update - 8 August 2011
Latest Update
The Princes Freeway at Morwell will be reopened – weather permitting – in time for the September school holidays, which start on 24 September.
The Acting Minister for Roads and Minister for Energy and Resources Michael O’Brien made the announcement at Morwell earlier this month.
Speaking after a meeting with the local Emergency Management Team (EMT), which has been working hard over recent months to resolve the issues causing the road’s closure, Mr O’Brien noted that this has been an extremely complex and challenging situation. He thanked Superintendent Tess Walsh and the members of the EMT for their efforts.
The reopening will be subject to ongoing compliance with safety standards. A Traffic Management System will be in place should the freeway need to be closed temporarily as a precautionary measure in response to ground movement or heavy rainfall.
What happens next?
It is expected that the freeway will be reopened at its designated 110 km/h speed limit, once additional safety and water control works are completed.
The works are already underway and include VicRoads lining the 300 metre central median along the currently closed section of the freeway. There will also be strengthening works including injecting grout into underground holes.
Once works are finished, the Princes Freeway will be reopened and traffic will no longer be diverted through the city of Morwell along Princes Drive.
The monitoring of ground movement around the freeway area will continue, even after works are completed and the road reopened to traffic. Around the clock monitoring of the freeway will detect any change which may result in the need for a temporary closure in the future.
Work will continue to finalise the longer-term solution for the use and design of the Morwell main drain, to prevent as much as possible more water entering the area of instability.
What about the current alternate routes?
During the Princes Freeway closure, VicRoads has undertaken important maintenance works on roads used as alternate routes. Many of these works are larger scale, longer term, resurfacing works to improve the quality of the roads with high traffic movements.
Once the freeway reopens, VicRoads will carry out a comprehensive inspection of the diversion route through Morwell as well as other main roads that have been used as alternate routes.
From these inspections VicRoads will be able to determine any further repair works that are required.
VicRoads will also review the temporary changes made to signs and speed zones on the alternate routes.
For more information please visit:
www.police.vic.gov.au or www.justice.vic.gov.au.
Questions can be emailed to brett.godden@police.vic.gov.au.
Updates will also be sent out via the Department of Justice’s Twitter feed; @justice_vic