Fixed in time for Christmas, major and ongoing construction works near Mason Grove in Sassafras have finally seen the road reopen on Friday 12 December.
Locals can now enjoy complete access to their homes and businesses around Sassafras after long-term works saw a landslide take out a section of the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in July 2024.
“We’ve completed major works to repair a landslide on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road near Mason Grove in Sassafras,” said a representative from Transport Victoria on their website update.
A representative from the Sassafras – Ferny Creek Fire Brigade said it will make for a much safer summer.
“There will be less traffic congestion and easier access along the ridge for emergency vehicles,” they said.
Both lanes on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road have reopened and the speed limit has been reinstated to 60 kilometers per hour.
However, final works were still planned for Monday 15 December between 7am and 4pm – so one lane will be closed with temporary traffic lights in place to maintain two-way traffic on that day.
The landslide along the popular tourist road in the Dandenongs had reduced the area to a single lane of traffic since July 2024.
The damage was extensive, with a 25-metre-wide and four-metre-deep area to repair and the job also had a number of issues plaguing the fix, with multiple underground utilities, steep drop-offs and a proximity to the Sassafras Creek and road width to contend with.
Local ground conditions meant a design review and a switch from plans to insert a retaining wall with deep drilling, and instead use a rock fill batter.
“This involves carefully placing rocks to create a compact and stable sloped embankment,” said the Transport Victoria website.
Works also included relocating the active underground gas pipe and safely removing a pipe that had an asbestos coating, and excavation works to remove the redundant retaining wall.
A little fun has been had across social media with the recent news, with some locals taking the time to add up roughly how many minutes they have sat waiting in traffic when the area was down to one lane.
The community, for now, is relieved and happy to have the use of their road back.
