Important regional road to be closed tomorrow, forcing a 130km detour

The Maroondah Highway, connecting urban Melbourne with the Yarra Ranges, ski fields and High Country regions, is set to be closed tomorrow forcing drives to take a lengthy detour.

The section of the road between Healesville and Narbethong, known as the Black Spur, will be closed on Tuesday 20 August 2024 between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm for tree works. The famous stretch of road, which snakes for about 25 kilometres through the Yarra Ranges rain forest, is the only direct route that connects eastern Melbourne with the Lake Mountain ski resort near Marysville, and the expansive Lake Eildon holiday region.

The Black Spur was featured on Season 6 of Drive TV, where James filmed a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in real time along the winding and picturesque tarmac.

While the works are in progress, drivers will need to divert north along the Melba Highway to Yea and then reconnect with the Maroondah Highway in Alexandria.

Visitors to Marysville will be forced to travel an additional 130 kilometres to reach their destination.

Further, the Melba Highway itself is in a state of poor repair due to potholes and road maintenance, so the trip may end up taking drivers over two hours extra.

A southern route past Mount Donna Buang is closed for the winter season as it passes through snowy territory. Alternative roads through Warburton and Reefton are shorter by distance but will take longer due to the narrow and winding nature of the mountain roads.

Drivers heading toward Marysville are urged to plan their journey ahead of time or postpone the trip until the road opens again on Wednesday 21 August.