It’s becoming an increasingly busy  unofficial shortcut between the Hopkins and Princes highways. But the 2.5-kilometre Wiggs Lane, which runs north off Wangoom Road, is more like a bush track with corrugations and ruts.

A major upgrade and sealing with bitumen would need a joint city-shire commitment or for landowners to dig deep and pay for the works.

For Mr Brown, Mrs Fleming and others, the short-term solution is for more regular maintenance by Moyne Shire Council which has responsibility. 

“I’ve lived here for about 15 years and have never seen so much corrugation in the road,” Mr Brown said.

“More drivers seem to be using it and as soon as it’s graded there’s even more traffic.”

Mrs Fleming, who operates a bed and breakfast business, said the road’s condition was deterring clients.

“I can’t see why the city and shire don’t split costs for improving the road,” she said.

“Sometimes it’s smoother driving in the drain at the side.” 

Moyne’s director of physical services, Trev Greenberger, promised to have the road inspected and if necessary graded in the next few weeks.

“We do regular maintenance and I haven’t been made aware of issues recently,” he said.

“Our council has made a recent policy of allowing landholders to pay for sealing of a roadway and the shire would maintain it. However, I would think it could be quite expensive for Wiggs Lane.”