Regional roads crisis: Gooramadda Road near Rutherglen to shut for weeks

More than 80mm of rain has left a major truck route in northeast Victoria cut and likely to be closed for weeks.

A flood-damaged road north of Rutherglen that has been dubbed by one local as the “Gooramadda canyon of doom” may not be fixed for weeks.

A sinkhole initially developed on Gooramadda Road following a torrential downpour this month before the road totally collapsed.

It is one of hundreds in Victoria and NSW damaged by floods with state governments under increasing pressure to provide additional cash to fix them.

Moulamein-Barham Road starting to break up.
Just had to get into town to pick up prescription medication 💊 @Mark_Butler_MP@BradHazzard@sussanley@[e-mail]/hmNhS0Olyc

— Jeremy Morton 🌾🐑🚜🐂 (@Jeremy_Morton_) November 20, 2022

The deteriorating state of the roads will also provide croppers with additional headaches when harvest eventually starts.

Rob White, who owns an olive farm on Gooramadda Road, said the culvert under the road became blocked and led to a major build up of floodwater.

“We saw water doing things you wouldn’t ordinarily see,” he said.

Gooramadda Road near Rutherglen cut in half by flood waters. Picture: Supplied Indigo Shire.

“We’re prepared for a downturn in trade, but just as we did in Covid you learn to adapt, change your business model.

“We’re using social media to urge people to come and taste our olives, go next door and taste some wine and then go and see the Gooramadda canyon of doom.

“Let’s turn it into something positive.”

In 2013, Gooramadda Road was made a designated B-double route as progress on a long-awaited truck bypass of Rutherglen stalled.

Large trucks were permitted to use Gooramadda Road to avoid the narrow Rutherglen main street in 2013.

Retired truck driver Danny Glasgow also lives on Gooramadda Road and said it had become a major freight route with the North Barnawartha saleyards complex and a major industrial hub nearby.

“The road was never ever constructed to take 90 tonne quad axle B-doubles doing 100km/h,” he said.

“The road was that narrow in places they had to paint the gravel.”

Gooramadda Road near Rutherglen could be closed for weeks. Picture: Supplied by Indigo Shire.

Indigo Shire is responsible for the road and chief executive Trevor Ierino said its priority was to restore access as soon as possible.

“We’re investigating options for a temporary bridge,” he said.

“We’ve also engaged engineers to complete a catchment analysis and culvert design, with surveying and advertising for the tender for construction to begin this week.

“We’ve had significant rainfall that has created major storm water flow that was beyond the capacity of the existing culvert to cope with.”

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