By CASEY NEILL
WATER over Heatherton Road in Dandenong hampered drivers during Friday night’s downpour – and not for the first time.
But VicRoads gave no indication that any solution was in sight.
About 8pm on Friday 19 July on the Eyewatch – Casey Police Service Area Facebook page, Senior Constable Laura Millard warned drivers to take care because the Dandenong Creek had overflowed onto the section between Stud Road and the Monash Freeway.
“When will they ever fix Heatherton Road?” Pat Kennedy commented.
“I have been a resident in the area for 40 years now, and every time there is a serious downpour the road goes under. Ridiculous and so unsafe.”
Wendy Faye said: “Thanks for the warning, seems we need an upgrade on this road.”
On the Greater Dandenong Star Facebook page, Grant Brooks said it had been an issue since he was “a young kid”.
“l’m 56 now … talk about slow progress,” he said.
Sen Const Millard said the road regularly flooded in heavy rain.
“That’s because it’s part of the Dandenong floodplain,” she said.
“The only thing that’s going to solve it is a bridge and that isn’t going to happen.
“If it’s impassable, we will sit there and block the road.
“But this time, it was quite passable and we had a lot of other calls to attend to.”
VicRoads metro south east acting director Michael Barker said there was minimal impact on motorists on this occasion.
“As a result of the raised water level in Dandenong Creek, there was water over the westbound carriageway of Heatherton Road,” he said.
“Warning signs were placed at the site to warn motorists of this hazard.
“The warning signs were removed on Monday 22 July.”
Mr Barker said that when VicRoads was informed of such events, it “responded in accordance with its Road Management Plan by either placing warning signs to alert motorists or closing lanes if the water over the road is considered dangerous”.
“VicRoads records show that flooding over Heatherton Road at Dandenong Creek has occurred twice in the past 12 months,” he said.
