When the notorious Black Spur will be closed for tree cull
A notorious Yarra Ranges road where a young mum died last year when a huge gum tree fell on her car will shut for several days so hazardous trees can be felled. The popular winding tourist route has been the scene of several horror crashes.
Outer East
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A notorious road in Melbourne’s east will be closed for several days to allow hazardous trees to be culled.
Contractors will start work later this month removing trees along the stretch of Maroondah Highway known as the Black Spur.
The winding road through the Yarra Ranges is a popular scenic drive for tourists but has been the site of several horror crashes, including a fatality last year when a tree fell on top of a passing car.
Mother Angie Suryadi died in the freak accident while she, her husband and two children were driving to the snow in August last year.
A separate freak accident on nearby Monbulk Rd in Sherbrooke in July resulted in the death of a father and son when their car was crushed under a fallen gum tree.
The decision to cull trees along the Black Spur was based on an arborist report that recommended removing 98 trees and pruning large limbs from another 28 trees.
The road was also shut for several days last October to remove 12 trees at risk of falling.
Minister for Roads, Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford said the works would improve safety for visitors and local residents.
She said the project would require the use of heavy machinery, including a crane, to remove the trees from the roadside.
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Road closures will be in place between 9.30am and 3.30pm from March 16-19 and March 23-26.
Those dates were chosen to reduce the impact on local tourism operators, Ms Pulford said.
Traffic management will direct drivers to detour via the Melba Highway to Yea, the
Goulburn Valley Highway to Alexandra and the Maroondah Highway to Alexandra, before heading south to Narbethong.