Storm water improvements planned for Main Street, Lithgow

Lithgow City Council has secured $2.2 million in external funding to alleviate the impacts of flooding at the intersection of Main Street and Cupro Street, Lithgow

For several decades, high intensity rainfall events have resulted in the flooding of the Main Street and Cupro Street intersection. While this results in widespread disruption to motorists, it is those business owners and residents in the immediate vicinity of the intersection who suffer the most severe impacts.

“This flooding is the result of all stormwater from Ordnance Avenue to Cupro Street flowing into one single 750mm channel which carries stormwater to Farmers Creek,” said Lithgow City Council’s Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham. “This infrastructure is not adequate. Acknowledging this, Council’s engineers have conducted extensive surveys and design work to upgrade the capacity.”

“The project will include laying of two new 900mm concrete pipes from the Main Street and Cupro Street intersection, through to Farmers Creek,” continued Mayor Statham. “Storm water flow capacity will be increased by just over 380%. This is an exciting, but complex project, with an under bore of the Great Western Rail Line required. Gas, electricity and water infrastructure also need to be worked around.”

Unfortunately, the Council advises that during very significant storms, the area may still flood. It is not possible to ensure complete flood immunity during such events. However, this project will result in a very noticeable reduction of flood impacts It is just another example of the Council’s commitment to future-proofing infrastructure throughout the city.

“This project is joint funded by the NSW Government and Australian Government, through Round 9 of the Resources for Regions program, and the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements respectively,” finished Mayor Statham. “The community is no doubt very appreciative of this funding.”

This project has been scheduled to commence with applications for necessary approvals being made in the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year. Should any resident wish to review the project surveys or designs, they can be accessed using the following link: https://council.lithgow.com/download/119458/