RESIDENTS travelling on Taylor’s Arm Rd are being met by a stomach-dropping sight: about one kilometre past Congarinni Rd adjacent to the river, two guard rail posts are attached to ... almost nothing.
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A major slippage in recent heavy rain has caused the bank on the inside of a curve halfway down the hill to slump about five metres, with a further drop to the river.
Council’s assistant general manager, engineering services, Paul Gallagher, said the lane closest to the river has been closed and traffic lights placed at the site.
He said the bad news was the traffic delays caused by the single lane would continue in the short term.
“It’s going to be around $800,000 to $1 million to repair due to the size,” Mr Gallagher said.
“As council’s geotechnical engineers could not expedite the work, we have engaged another geotech consultant to do the geotech and design for the remedial repair and they will have the design to council within four to six weeks.”
There is however some good news.
“We had this site listed as a potential claim from the 2012 flood damage event and were advised to monitor it. We got onto the Roads and Maritime Service last week and they have included the work on the schedule of flood damage which means we will receive natural disaster funding for the repair which will cover the estimated $800k to $1 million repair,” Mr Gallagher said.
And the really good news is the RMS has also agreed to move the road alignment to the south, away from the river bank, which means it is the road and not the bank that is being repaired.
Once geotechnical investigations for the road pavement design are completed, construction can be done ‘in-house’ by council workers, so reducing the time of the part road closure.
“It is anticipated that we could be on site within eight to nine weeks, commencing the construction some four to five months quicker than if we were to go to tender to repair the bank only,” Mr Gallagher said.
“There will be some negotiation required to acquire the land to move the road over from its present alignment, and if we gain agreement from the property owner in the first instance we can take possession of the site, commencing earthworks as soon as geotechnical investigation and pavement design is completed.”
