Capital Works Program Update - November 2022

Published on 22 December 2022

Council has an ongoing program of capital works and upgrades to buildings, parks, playgrounds, and roads across the Federation Council Region. The following activities were undertaken in November 2022 by Federation Council’s Works teams.

Regular rain has interrupted Capital and Maintenance works for approximately 8 days, with approximately 120mm of rain recorded, adding to the already flooded road network. This has had a major impact with Capital Works, maintenance grading and gravel re-sheeting programs having to remain on hold, with crews attending to flood response and pothole repairs. With the large and regular rain events, staff have been busy with flooded roads for the second straight month. Additional warning signage have been purchased for “Water Over Road”, “Rough Surface”, “Traffic Hazard Ahead” as potholes and washouts have affected more roads in the LGA. Continued wet weather is hampering Council’s best efforts to undertake road repairs throughout the Local Government Area. Council is prioritising these repairs and doing what it can as conditions and staff availability permit. Prolonged water over roads had had a devastating effect on some roads with washouts and deep potholing. Traffic diversions from the closure of the Riverina Highway west of Federation Way, Sturt Highway and Newell Highways at Narrandera and Federation Way has placed enormous pressure on other roads in the LGA have compounded road failures and potholing. Staff also conducted preparations for the rising Murray River levels at the Corowa Civic Centre which peaked at 8.1 metres, as well as assisting VRA, SES and the public with supplying sand and sandbags to help protect private property and other community facilities. Road closures in affected streets were implemented. Staff from the south assisted the northern crews with flood mitigation for Urana township with repairs to the existing levee bank and the construction of a new levee bank north of Cocketgedong Road.

The following activities were also undertaken in November 2022 by Federation Council’s Works teams:

• Urana Township Levee Bank Construction: Repairs to the existing levee bank and the construction of a new levee bank north of Cocketgedong Road. 

• Corowa Urban Flood Repairs:  Several laneways have been repaired following more flooding due to a significant rain event in late October.

• John-Street Drainage: The next stage of the project is the street reconstruction, which consists of further subgrade and pavement works. Due to staff undertaking repair work due to the recent flood event, the next stage of the works has been postponed. The final stage of the project is bitumen sealing which is scheduled to occur shortly after completion of the street reconstruction works. Notices have been letter dropped to residents of the postponement. 

• Corowa – Mulwala Cycleway: Excavation and subgrade preparation at the corner of Cotton and River Street for approx. 20 lineal metres of new concrete kerb and gutter and storm water drainage works. 

• Maintenance Grading Program: Bullicourt Road, Tom Roberts Road (where possible) in preparation for gravel re-sheeting. Boree Creek and surrounding Areas No tabledrain work done as drains are too wet for plant to work in. 

• Gravel Re-sheeting Program: Commenced Waverley Road in progress, on hold due to water laying on road sections to be resheeted. Sections of Tom Roberts Road.

• Table drain Maintenance: Table drain Maintenance carried out in response to Customer Requests in urban and rural drains, only in zones where no impact can be made on the Sloanes Froglet (between April and October breeding season). 

• Sealed Roads: Pothole repairs on sealed urban and rural roads with the Corowa based Flocon patching truck and the Urana based Jetmaster patching truck. 

• Customer Requests: Numerous Customer Requests responded to for drainage, potholes, signs and footpaths, however many were unable to be acted on due to staff required for flood response.

• Flood Damage Repairs: Kywong-Howlong Road, Bridge Road Corowa, Redlands Road. 

• Billabong Anabranch Bridge Reconstruction: Contractor is aiming to have the new bridge open to traffic by late December 2022. 

• Heavy Trucks: Flood response. Cart excess spoil to Corowa & Howlong Landfills for cover & capping. Carting of aggregate for patching trucks.