Pothole surprise for Rutherglen as sinkholes form around Bendigo region

The aftermath of Victorian flooding has left a lot more than potholes in its wake. See the incredible video.

An innocent looking Rutherglen pothole has been dubbed “the canyon” by nearby residents and has turned into an engineering nightmare for the local council.

The modestly sized pothole on Gooramadda Road, in the state’s northeast, was detected in the middle of last month and quickly emerged as a dangerous sinkhole.

“Within the 24 hours of Monday November 14 and Tuesday November 15, what initially appeared as a small sinkhole has now totally eroded a large section of road,” Indigo Shire Council said in an update to residents.

“The road was immediately closed from the Murray Valley Highway to the Chiltern-Howlong Road and motorists need to seek alternate routes.”

Sinkholes are creating havoc on central Victorian properties in wake of the floods, even appearing in school yards.

Campaspe police posted a warning to Facebook, urging motorists to avoid floodwaters.

“A visual reminder of why you should never drive into floodwater no matter how shallow you think it might be – you never know what’s going on under the surface,” police said.

The photo showed a gaping chasm about 6m wide and 6m deep.

The first stage of the sinkhole on Gooramadda Road, Rutherglen, which grew dramatically in the space of one day.

Locals now call it "the canyon" on Gooramadda Road, Rutherglen. It was a sinkhole which expanded dramatically in November following floods.

A river runs through it: the sinkhole on Gooramadda Road, Rutherglen, which opened after the floods and now poses a significant engineering challenge.

Indigo council faces a long journey to fix the road.

“This week we’ve managed to secure the critical infrastructure – eight large box culverts – required to reinstate the road,” the council stated.

“This was a key part of the process and we’ve largely completed the survey and design works so this will allow us to seek tenders for contractors to complete the installation.”

The council hopes to award the contract before Christmas, have rebuilding work begin in the New Year and complete in six to eight weeks.

Primary schools at Echuca and Bendigo have also sent letters to parents about sinkholes opening on ovals and close to playgrounds.

St Kilian’s Primary School in Bendigo has written to parents explaining structural engineers had inspected the site and recommended “further school ground exclusions”.

“Students will now play on the asphalt, oval and basketball courts with appropriate supervisions in place,” the letter said.

“These decisions have been made to ensure the safety of our students.”

Central Victorian and border towns, many gold mining past, face difficulty with sinkholes due to old mine shafts reopening will little notice. Heavy rainfall, burst pipes and flooding can also contribute to the emergence of sinkholes.