Work is under way on four sections of the bypass, including laying hot mix asphalt between Astill Drive to Ophir Road and Ophir Road to Icely Road, and a final coat of hot mix to be added to the section between The Escort Way and Ploughmans Lane.

Stabilisation to a depth of 310 millimetres, plus a bitumen seal, will occur between Icely Road and the Mitchell Highway, bringing it to a depth of 720 millimetres, which is in line with the rest of the road.

Infrastructure policy committee chair and councillor Glenn Taylor said once the current works were complete, only the section between Hill Street and Clergate Road remained to be done.

“It’s been a huge effort and it’s taken record road funding to get this work done,” Cr Taylor said. 

A report from Orange City Council technical services director Chris Devitt to Tuesday’s meeting will ask councillors to approve another $3 million in expenditure.

The report said the 285-millimetre layer of hotmix asphalt had worked on most sections upgraded to date, with some receiving more due to variations in road subgrade conditions.

However, the report said extended wet weather during winter meant section of the 40-millimetre overlay around Astill Drive and between Ophir Road and Icely Road would need to be replaced.

The section between Hill Street and William Maker Drive also received a thinner layer because the intersection is planned to change.

The Anson Street to Clergate Road section will be completed as part of the upgrade of the intersection of the distributor and Clergate Road.