Roads within the Southern Grampians comprise 603km of arterial roads classified as highways and main roads which are managed by VicRoads, with 2,818km of municipal roads managed by Council. Council is the responsible authority for approximately 1,573km of sealed rural roads, 1,085km of rural unsealed roads, and 160km of sealed and unsealed urban or town roads.
With approximately 3,564km of roads within the Shire, maintenance and restoration is a constant challenge for Council. Council places a high priority on road maintenance works with an average Council expenditure of $2.6m annually in road maintenance alone. Council has also invested $27m over the past five years to undertake renewal and upgrade works. Where possible, Council seeks external funding to assist with these works.
Southern Grampians residents, businesses and visitors proactively report issues pertaining to the road surface quality, Council undertakes regular inspections of the local road network and engages with residents and businesses in the development of the Road Management Plan and associated asset plans.Arterial roads with significant degradation include the Glenelg Highway, Henty Highway, Hamilton Highway and the Coleraine Edenhope Road. These roads have been without appropriate upgrade works for several years however the heavy vehicle volumes have not diminished, resulting in unsafe driving practices and further degradation to the road verges. Long periods of speed reduction zones are operational across the regional road network due to the current state of disrepair across the arterial network.60km/hr speed limits on arterial roads through smaller townships such as Dunkeld and Penshurst raises safety issues particularly for local drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.