27-09-2022
A summary of key Council works is detailed below:
Grabine Road Reconstruction (Growing Local Economies Program)
The road reconstruction component of Grabine Road project has been completed. The funder has approved a time extension until January 2023 to enable causeway upgrade works incorporating large box culverts at Sandy Creek. Due to frequent and substantial water flow at the creek crossing, a dry weather spell is required before these works can commence. Work is scheduled to commence in September 2022, weather permitting. If weather does not allow culvert works in this timeframe council will seek further extension and/or amend scope of works to use remaining funds on causeway upgrades.
Laggan Road MR248E Rehabilitation (Regional Roads REPAIR Program) Pavement rehabilitation and drainage improvement works have been completed on the Laggan Road. Works included from Boongarra Road to the newly reconstructed pavement in Laggan Village near the School. Line-marking remains to be completed, this will be done in the next visit by line-marking contractors.
Goulburn Road (MR54) – RMCC (State Road Funding)
Reseal of Segment 53 (Sooley Creek) referred to warranty and repair provisions of contract (Downer EDI) together with urban streets. Completion of Speed Zone alterations – Glenfield Road to Tuena and Abercrombie River. Completion of 2 x pullover areas North of Tuena for Heavy Vehicles.
Ongoing advocacy to TfNSW to address pavement failures and reseal program on State Main Road 54. TfNSW have allocated $250K for Heavy Patching on MR54 and nominated 5 segments for reseal including reseal preps.
Peelwood Road Reconstruction (Heavy Vehicle Safety and Production Program)
A further length of Peelwood Road will commence construction in September/October 2022. Ongoing maintenance will continue until construction commences. Grant funding has been extended with completion due by 1 December 2022. The works will progress northwards from the end of existing seal towards Peelwood.
Wheeo Road Reconstruction (Heavy Vehicle Safety and Production Program)
Construction will commence on a further length of Wheeo Road September/October 2022. The works will progress westwards from the end of existing seal towards Wheeo. Grant funding has been extended with completion due by 1 December 2022.
Wombeyan Caves Road MR258
Federal and State Government have both agreed to fund the Slope Stability works with the surplus funds now being allocated towards slope stabilisation of a section of unstable road batter near Wombeyan Caves. Construction tenders were advertised on 1 June 2022 which closed on 30 June 2022. The tender was awarded with anticipated start date of July 2022 with completion, weather permitting, by mid-December 2022.
Council was recently contacted by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and their contractor Carfax Commercial noting there is a $9.6m project underway at Wombeyan Caves and there will be large number of truck movements on Wombeyan Caves Road until January/February 2023. Wombeyan Caves Road is required to be closed to undertake the slope stability works and this would halt the NPWS project. Council and NPWS have been communicating through the month of August to come up with a solution. A site meeting was held on 23 August 2022 between ULSC, NPWS, a Geotech Engineer and Carfax to resolve the issue, the current option pursued is for Council to undertake the most urgent works including culvert clearing and postpone the remaining works until February 2023 when the NPWS project is complete. Negotiations are underway with NPWS and Council’s contractor for the slope stability works, to determine the lowest risk and most pragmatic solution.
Collector Road (Fixing Local Roads Program)
A 3km extension of the bitumen sealed length of Collector Road 5km to 8km from Gunning is now complete, including line marking. The project was completed under budget with approximately $350k remaining. An application has been made to TfNSW to have the works extended to utilise these unspent funds.
Gurrundah Road (Friars Hill) Upgrade (Roads to Recovery Program)
The upgrade works on Friars Hill has commenced which involves improving the road alignment, additional culverts and culvert extensions, and select lengths of road widening and bitumen seal. Due to weather conditions and unforeseen problems with subsurface failures on the construction site, the completion date for this work has been pushed back to September 2022.
Tablelands Way (MR 256 – Taralga Rd)
Council have received grant funding from the NSW State Government to upgrade four sections of Tablelands Way (also called Taralga Road or MR256) north of Taralga. These sections have been numbered in order of priority. Section 1 (the highest priority), is the replacement of an underperforming culvert/causeway arrangement over Burra Burra Creek with a single span bridge; Sections 2-4 are road upgrades with several curve realignments, widening, and furnishing.
The design for Section 1 is 80% complete with only minor changes outstanding. The Project is currently waiting on flood modelling and property acquisition before the works can go to tender. This is expected to happen in September 2022, with construction to commence in early 2023.
The designs for Sections 2-4 are 100% complete and ready to issue for tender. The proposed scope of works extends for almost 4.4km of upgrades. Council is preparing the Request for Tender documentation suite and concurrently organising preliminaries such as property acquisition and minor service relocation in anticipation of imminent construction works.
Timber Bridge Replacements
The fabrication continues with first delivery schedule for Cooksvale Road, Peelwood bridge scheduled for delivery on 6 September 2022, followed by Burra Burra Creek, Blue Hill Road on 23 September 2022. Crookwell River, Julong Road (2) is scheduled for completion of fabrication on 15 October 2022 with delivery date to be confirmed.
The construction contractor, Bridge and Civil is continuing pre-construction preliminaries however due to wet weather on some sites there has been a schedule slip with the new completion date end of January 2023.
Robertson Lane Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Works commenced on schedule in late June 2022. The works include pavement upgrade, bitumen sealing and kerb and gutter (layback style). Pavement subgrade, swale and rock drain work continues, while concrete kerb and gutter has been completed. Forecast completion date has been extended due to wet weather, to late September 2022.
North Crookwell Stormwater
Stormwater upgrade works continue in North Crookwell. Wet weather has caused delays to the contractor. Drainage works in Gordon Park, regrading and reshaping existing swale drains and the forming and laying of concrete drains within the park and in Soudan Road and Wolseley Road are 90% complete. Reshaping of road edge drainage at the intersection of Gordon Road and Soudan Road continues.
A review of design for North Street is being carried to ensure all properties are served and stormwater surface flows can be controlled.
Resealing Program (Roads to Recovery Program)
The resealing program has been completed on Orchard and Hillas Streets in Taralga, Peelwood Rd, Fullerton Rd, Jerrawa Rd, Collector and urban roads in Crookwell. Due to the delayed commencement by the contractor and the cold and wet weather soon after application there are a number of seals that have exhibited stripping of the aggregate. The contractor will periodically sweep up the loose stones that continue to unravel from the seal. The defects will be rectified in warmer weather (October 2022) with the rectification strategy agreed with Council.
Council received $4.3M in grant funding to be spent over the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years. Reseals and reseal preparation works will be undertaken on Bigga Road, Roslyn Road and Cullerin Road to complete the program this financial year.
Gravel Road Resheeting Program (LRCIP)
Council’s gravel resheeting program for the financial year comprises of $500k to be spent on Redground Road, Redground Heights Rd, Pejar Rd, Glenerin Road, Blackney Ck Rd and Rugby Road. An additional $625k carries over from last financial year on Mulgowrie and Middle Arm Road funded from Fixing Local Roads Rd3.
Pedestrian School Zone Safety Program
Stage 1 (Raised Pedestrian Crossings) – Upgrade of existing school crossing with concrete raised pedestrian crossings in Crookwell, Gunning, Collector and Taralga. Detailed design works have been completed. Construction tenders were sent out to seven contractors via vendor panel on 22 July 2022 and tenders closed on 17 August 2022. There were no tender submissions, therefore tenders have been sent out via email to five local contractors on 19 August 2022 and the tenders will be closing on 1 September 2022.
Stage 2 (Line marking and Signage) – Survey works have been completed. Scope of works and Bill of Quantities (BOQ) were finalised 26 August 2022. Request for Quotation (RFQ) was sent out end of August 2022 and works to be carried out in September/October 2022.
Flood Warning Systems
The scope of works include the upgrade of rain gauges to automated systems in Crookwell, Taralga, Collector & Gunning and installation of a new water level gauge at Gunning. The automated rain gauges and water level gauge will include alert facilities to SES and Council.
Options study and design works are in progress. Stage 2 report has been circulated by the design consultant Manly Hydraulic Laboratory (MHL) on 12 August 2022, to which SES and Council have responded with comments. The project has been delayed due to correspondence delay by Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and the previous completion date has been extended by one month to mid November 2022.
Natural Disaster Restoration Works Program
Council continues to suffer considerable damage to the road network following wet weather events. While crews are continually attending to unsealed roads, rehabilitation of large pavement failures is also urgently required. Council has engaged contractors to both manage and undertake the storm damage restoration under the various declarations.
Routine Maintenance – Works in Progress/Completed recently
The current unsealed road maintenance grading and repair program is as follows.
Grading completed
- Reids Flat Road
- Butchers Road
- Strathaird Lane
- Greenmantle Road
- Yarraman Road
- Salisbury Road
- Yailbraith Road
- Leighwood Road
- Middle Arm Road
- Snipe Flat Road
In Progress/Upcoming
- Craigs Road
- Golspie Road
- Cuddyong Road
- Kangaloolah Road
- Golspie Road
- Collector Road
- Rye Park Road