THE roadworks program across Orange has wrapped up for the financial year, with mayor Reg Kidd labeling the completion of 10 major rehabilitations or reconstructions a success.
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Council’s crews and contractors completed more than 16 kilometres of work during the warmer and drier months – known as road-building season – including major upgrades to Leeds Parade, William Street and Kite Street.
Work by contractors on Cargo Road and Forest Road will be ongoing during winter, but council crews will be targeting road repair and maintenance until October.
Cr Kidd said this during this year’s road-building season council had managed to make a significant difference to the quality of Orange’s roads by having “all hands on deck getting through a mammoth list of jobs”.
“Those included a major upgrade on William Street from Byng Street to March Street, and a two-kilometre stretch of Leeds Parade,” he said.
“These roads in particular have received a lot of community feedback and we’ve certainly listened to that and responded.
A few years ago there was a lot of heat around the subject of roads and I believe that has certainly dissipated because we’ve got on with the job.
- Orange mayor Reg Kidd
“A few years ago there was a lot of heat around the subject of roads and I believe that has certainly dissipated because we’ve got on with the job of upgrading Orange’s roads.”
Cr Kidd said the almost total absence of major roadworks undertakings in winter was based largely on financial considerations.
“It’s more cost effective for ratepayers to have our crews head into repair and maintenance mode during the cooler, wetter months,” he said.
Orange City Council Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Romano said council had heard “loud and clear” from the public that road infrastructure was a major community priority.
“We’re continuing to fund roads in a big way to reflect the community sentiment,” Cr Romano said.
“In the 2018-2019 budget we’ve allocated $28 million on roads, including a range of reseals, rehabilitations and spray seals, and that’s another record.
“I certainly think the community has noticed an improvement in our road network and we are committed to further improvement in that area.”
In the 2017-2018 road building season, council crews and contractors also completed 30 spray seals or a reseals on roads.
TAKING ON THE BIG JOBS …
Some of the major projects from the 2017-18 financial year:
- Lords Place (Gardiner Road to the end of Lords Place): rehabilitation and hotmix.
- Ophir Road (First Crossing and the next 140 metres): rehabilitation and spray seal.
- Kite Street (Hill Street to Sampson Street): rehabilitation and removal of a dip in the road at the Clinton Street intersection.
- Northern Distributor Road (Anson Street to Clergate Road): hot mix asphalt reconstruction.
- Leeds Parade (Margaret Street to Northern Distributor Road): rehabilitate and spray seal/hotmix asphalt at intersections.
- Burrendong Way (Northern Distributor Road to Wiradjuri Way): widening, reconstruction and spray seal.
- Cargo Road (Boundary to Whitton Lane): sub soil drainage works pavement strengthening and seal; and (Whitton to Ploughmans): stormwater drainage and bulk earthworks (ongoing) with road upgrading next construction season.
- Wicks Road (full length): form pavement and spray seal.
- Canobolas Road causeway: widen road and reconstruct causeway with new drainage culvert.
- Forest Road (Southern Feeder Road to the hospital): widening, reconstruction, hot mix asphalt seal and traffic lights at the main hospital entrance (ongoing).
- William Street (from March Street to Byng Street): reconstruction using a cement stabilised base and a heavy duty layer of hotmix asphalt.
- Hill Street (Moulder Street to Warrendine Street): rehabilitation and spray seal.
- Anson Street (at Lister Drive and at Phillip Street): rehabilitation and hot mix asphalt.
