Rural roads crisis: Boort-Charlton Road has potholes the size of “moon craters”

Terrifying footage of a near miss between a concrete mixer and an oncoming ute on a potholed section of a North Central Victorian road is becoming an increasingly regular occurrence.

Terrifying footage of a near miss between a concrete mixer and an oncoming ute on a potholed section of a North Central Victorian road is becoming an increasingly regular occurrence, according to a former highway patrol policeman.

Video captured by The Weekly Times on the Boort-Charlton Road near Nareewillock last week shows a concrete mixer driver veering across the road into loose gravel to avoid large potholes.

The oncoming ute driver appeared to start crossing onto the other side of the road to avoid the concrete mixer before a last minute call to swerve back and into the roadside gravel to also dodge deep potholes.

The Boort-Charlton Road near Terrappee is littered with potholes. PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

VRA Rescue NSW southern region co-ordinator Paul Marshall urged drivers to continue driving to the current poor conditions.

“What we’re seeing is people swerving to avoid big potholes and ending up in oncoming traffic,” he said.

“We’re pleading with people to slow down, follow the speed limits in place.

“We’ve just got to ride this out.”

A badly damaged section of the Boort-Charlton Road near Terrappee. PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

Mr Marshall, who is a retired Victoria Police office, said there would be no quick fix to the overall repair job required.

“It’s like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” he said.

“The poor guys will start at one end and get to the other filling potholes and then have to start again.”

Mr Marshall said it was critical drivers maintained vehicles by ensuring they had correct tyre pressure, windscreens remained clean and wiper blades always in optimum working order.

Sisters Danielle and Caitlin Lang are being forced to use badly damaged roads during harvest. PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

Nareewillock’s Danielle Lang said one section of the Boort-Charlton Road was closed because there were “massive potholes like moon craters” with other roads in the area also in bad condition.

“A truck I’ve driven on them would knock out a gear and you’d nearly bounce out of your seat with your seat belt on,” she said.

Terrappee farmer Brian Wright said potholes on the Boort-Charlton Road were “seven-foot wide and a foot and a half deep” in some places.

“This section of the road has been terrible for years,” he said.

“There is some flood damage obviously because water has come over it.

“When they built these roads I was a kid at school and that was the late 60s, early 70s.

“Nothing has been done since.”