Upgrades to the municipality’s roads are on the cards, with trials involving two types of road sealant underway on specific streets in Ararat Rural City.

Developed in Norway, ‘Otta’ seal is a bituminous road sealant which is both low cost and requires far less maintenance than traditional sealing methods. It takes just a few hours to resurface a road, which is then usable almost immediately afterwards. Otta also offers a major reduction in dust, improving driver visibility and decreasing health problems caused by these fine particles.

The Otta sealing of Young, Thomas and Elizabeth Streets in central Ararat are complete, while Andrews Lane and Moyston Dunkeld Road are currently undergoing the treatment.

Curb and channel-sealing using Otta is afoot in several areas of inner Ararat, including Bailey Lane, Currajong Avenue, McLellan Street, King Street, Coral Street, and Alexandra Avenue.

Council also have plans to test the dust-reducing and highly durable TerraPave road sealant, a non-toxic and water-repelling alternative to concrete and asphalt mix. The trial is slated to begin shortly on Warryatkin Road, east of central Ararat.