Dozens of cars damaged by single pothole on Victorian freeway

A large pothole on Victoria’s Princes Freeway has reportedly damaged dozens of vehicles during the Monday morning commute, leaving motorists stranded beside the busy road with punctured tyres and damaged wheels.

The pothole was located on the Melbourne-bound side of the freeway near Bunyip and Longwarry, just after the Bunyip River bridge, with drivers encountering the damaged road surface in wet conditions and poor early-morning visibility.

CommunityPete on Facebook posted a video showing a string of vehicles lined up on the side of the road, which may have suffered punctures or other damage after striking the pothole, with some reportedly requiring towing from the scene.

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Other reports put the number lower. Melbourne radio station 3AW reported at least 23 vehicles had been affected, while other footage shared on social media showed a lengthy line of cars stopped along the roadside. The exact number of damaged vehicles has not been independently confirmed.

The incident caused significant disruption during the morning peak, with some motorists attempting to change damaged wheels and tyres beside passing freeway traffic.

One driver told the Herald Sun she struck the pothole at about 6.30am while travelling from Moe to Melbourne and found around 20 other damaged vehicles already pulled over. She said further cars arrived while she was changing a damaged wheel and tyre, prompting her to contact emergency services because of concerns for motorists’ safety.

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VicTraffic subsequently warned motorists of delays near Hope Street, while police attended the area to assist with traffic management.

The incident comes amid continuing scrutiny of the condition of Victoria’s road network. The Victorian Government has committed $1.04 billion to road maintenance and improvements, with much of the program directed towards regional roads.

Motorists travelling through the Bunyip and Longwarry area have been urged to exercise additional caution.