Work on a "dangerous" Bungonia district road has started this week, following a legal stand-off between the council and a quarry company.
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Multiquip Quarries has engaged a contractor to undertake urgent drainage and pavement repairs on its Oallen Ford Road and Jerrara Road haul route.
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It followed the council's early November decision to take "immediate legal action" over the company's alleged failure to comply with its 2009 consent conditions. The haul route's upgrade, as well as a bypass around Bungonia, were key conditions of the sand and basalt quarry's approval.
The council claimed Multiquip had performed a "substandard" upgrade which caused the pavement to break apart.
The company has been running trucks over the route for many years. Residents have strongly complained about the road's condition, including broken edges and pavement, potholes and other deterioration. The speed limit has been reduced to 60km/h as a result.
In August, councillors gave the company until September 27 to start $1.8 million worth of priority work. They agreed the council would fund this upfront in the interests of public safety but recoup the money from the company via section 94 contributions.
At the time, council general manager Warwick Bennett said he was frustrated with Multiquip's "delaying tactics" and the community was suffering as a result of the damage.
He told The Post on Thursday that legal action didn't eventuate. Multiquip commissioned a contractor to start the work on Monday.
"We've agreed on a program, which will take four to six weeks. The work should be finished by the end of January," he said.
It includes drainage and shoulder repairs along the route, which covers 4km of Oallen Ford Road and 14km on Jerrara Road.
The council insisted that a "professional road construction" outfit and not Multiquip do the work.
"We are monitoring (the quality of) those repairs," Mr Bennett said.
"The drainage work is the priority because it wasn't done to the correct standard."
Multiquip managing director Steve Mikosic previously said the company had undertaken everything required and always accepted responsibility to repair failures. Last month he refused to re-bitumen the road, arguing his trucks were not the only users.
The drainage repairs are confined to Oallen Ford Road. Operations director Matt O'Rourke said pavement work was underway on Jerrara Road as this had deteriorated the most.
Mr Bennett told The Post that the road's 100km/h speed limit would be restored once the repairs were completed.
The council will also carry out $1.4m in work along a 3.5km stretch of Jerrara Road, courtesy of $1.4m federal Blackspot funding
In related news, councillors in November also decided to progress inclusion of Taralga Road, Cullerin Road and the first 700 metres of Currawang Road, from the Braidwood Road intersection, as B-double routes.
It followed a structural assessment of bridges and pavements by consultants, Local Government Engineering Services.
However the Taralga Road bridge would require a new safety barrier and scouring around the piers, Mr O'Rourke's report stated. The council will apply to Transport for NSW for $120,000 to undertake this work in 2022/23.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator still has to approve the new B-double routes.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
