WORK to demolish and replace corrugated steel culverts beneath Boat Harbour Road at Sauls Dairy is ahead of schedule.
The old culverts have been dug out and demolished and the scrap metal stockpiled for recycling.
“There is now a huge hole, about 34 metres wide and 8.5 metres deep at the construction site, where Boat Harbour Road was,” Nambucca Valley Council Acting General Manager David Moloney said.
“Two excavators working in tandem removed approximately 10,000 cubic metres of soil to access and demolish the old culverts.”
Between late September and mid-October, 22 8.5-tonne tri-cell concrete box culverts will be delivered to drain the road.
The culvert replacement is expected to take 16 weeks to complete, weather permitting.
During construction, vehicles travelling between Macksville and Taylors Arm are being detoured via Taylors Arm Road. The 7km detour has a reduced speed limit of 40 km.
Council has advised operators of oversize or over-mass (OSOM) vehicles that Taylors Arm Road’s tight curve may not accommodate their vehicles.
OSOM operators needing to move through the Utungun or Taylors Arm areas have been advised to discuss their plans with council to see if a suitable alternative route can be found.
Mayor Gary Lee was delighted that the old culverts had been removed a week ahead of schedule.
“We’ve had sunny days and the team from local contractor Fortade have been pushing ahead to get this major road repair finished,” he said.
“It’s great news for the local community who want the road reopened as quickly as possible.”
The Australian Government funded the $2.4m project through the Safer Local Roads Infrastructure Program.
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