FOUR months ago, NSW Roads and Maritime Services was confident about progress on the Mitchell Highway upgrade at Guanna Hill, saying it would be open by the end of March.
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However, the state government has admitted density testing irregularities in the roadbase encountered in October were worse than expected.
After telling the Central Western Daily on Thursday completion would be later in the year, an RMS spokesman clarified it would be “a few months”.
“The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year,” he said.
Asked what had happened to blow out the timeframe by up to nine months, Western NSW parliamentary secretary Rick Colless said a “new type of material that meets the specifications” had to be brought in.
“They’re still hammering it in,” he said.
“There were more issues than they expected with that [original] material.”
Incorrect density can lead roads to crack prematurely.
Mr Colless said the next seal on a large section around Strathmore Lane intersection would be laid on May 3-5, allowing the section to be opened by about May 6.
Work would then continue on other sections.
He hoped the entire seven-kilometre stretch could be open well before the end of 2018, provided the weather remained dry, but there had been a number of accidents along the stretch caused by drivers ignoring the construction speed limits.
“In one of the more serious accidents, the car was travelling at over 100km/h,” he said.
“People have to be a little bit patient – I know it’s inconvenient but if there’s a major accident, the alternative is frightening.”
The RMS had also blamed the delays on wet weather, despite January receiving average rainfall and February and March receiving less than half, but when asked to clarify the impact, the spokesman said there was nothing more to add.
Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said the $40 million budget would remain.
”The delay was due to substandard work by the contractor, who then needed to bring the work up to RMS standards, without further cost to taxpayers,” she said.