Eurobodalla Council has sent a letter to residents of Araluen Road as a means of providing "a summary and an update on infrastructure recovery works on Araluen Road resulting from the nine declared natural disasters (bushfires and eight subsequent floods) as well as other Council works on the road." The Council writes "The last natural disaster flood occurred on 10 December 2021 with approximately 250mm of rainfall falling overnight. This event followed on from preceding rainfall and caused significant damage to the roadway. Council and local contract crews responded to clean-up and undertake urgent works to secure access along Araluen Road prior to Christmas." "This natural disaster flood event also caused widespread damage across Eurobodalla including flooding of Mogo village and damage to infrastructure, requiring a significant response working with emergency services and other agencies." "We appreciate the on-going patience of the community whilst extensive recovery works are undertaken across the whole of the Eurobodalla. With our new Councillors sworn in, we have scheduled an opportunity for Councillors to tour Araluen Road on Friday 18 March (COVID-19 and weather permitting). "Residents are welcome to come along to the McGregors Creek RFS station on the day at 3pm to meet and talk with Councillors and staff from Council’s Infrastructure Services team. To help Councillors and the community to understand the extensive recovery program for Araluen Road Council say they advised in their letter to residents details of the works. Major recovery activities on Araluen Road include:
i) Bridge replacement in concrete – estimated value $2.8m funded under Natural
Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA)
a. Pigeon Gully Bridge complete
b. Bradburys Bridge complete
c. McGregors Creek Bridge complete
d. Kennys Creek Bridge
i. substantially complete
ii. approaches scheduled for completion by the end of March
iii. then the old bridge will be removed
ii) Knowles Creek landslide (approximately 22km mark)
a. New alignment under construction (estimated value $3.3m funded
substantially through NDRRA)
b. Open to resident traffic 10 December 2021
c. Impacts on timeframes due to on-going wet weather, December declared
natural disaster flood and rock
d. Scheduled for completion and first coat sealing during the second quarter
2022
iii) Merricumbene landslide (approximately 43km mark)
a. Preliminary investigation complete
b. Detailed geotechnical investigation and design to recover the existing road
alignment underway. This will require major specialised geotechnical work.
c. Alternate new roadway around the site is not a viable alternative due to very
high costs, land tenure and other matters
d. Once detailed design is complete, formal tenders will be required to be called
and reported to Council to select the contractor to be engaged to undertake
the specialist clean-up, recovery and stabilisation work
e. Timing subject to finalisation of design, suitability and availability of
contractors, safety considerations and weather
iv) Removal of bushfire affected trees
a. Complete except at 43km mark site west
b. Works funded under NDRRA
v) 19km mark landslide and longitudinal cracking
a. Interim clearing, drainage and stabilisation works complete (approximate
value $200,000)
b. Specialist contractor engaged to undertake final works in association with
other sites under NDRRA funding (value included in (vi) below)
c. Additional resilience work to be undertaken including extra soil nailing and
stormwater culvert works covered through the Australian Government’s Local
Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCIP) funding
vi) 11km, 14km mark and shoulder work near Water Pump Station
a. Widening into the more stable ground has been completed at the 11km and
14km marks and these areas gravelled
b. Materials won from here have been used to improved shoulder width and
road safety near the Water Pump Station closer to town
c. Geotech recovery work remains to be completed at the 11km and 14km
marks on the low side of the road and will be scheduled when designs are
complete and resources allow
vii) Specialised soil nailing stabilisation work
a. Four initial sites (at 45km, 41.5km, 41km and 19km marks) with an
approximate contract value of $2.3m
b. Contractor on-site between 43km mark and Pigeon Gully Bridge.
i. Geotechnical ground conditions are poor requiring additional work
ii. Traffic still coming through the site, delaying progress
iii. Access along the road will be heavily constrained in early March
during shotcreting works
c. Several other stabilisation sites currently in design and procurement process
d. Contractor will next move to sites east of 43km mark closure with the next
site near “Goodenough Gully” about 41.5km from Moruya due to begin in
early March
viii) Merricumbene widening and safety improvements (estimated value $350,000
funded under LRCIP)
a. Works to widen the roadway into solid ground with the aim of reducing the
risk of loss of roadway
b. Works substantially advanced with this phase of work scheduled for
completion April 2022
ix) Araluen Road gravel resheeting works (approximately 10.5km in total) and minor
improvements
a. Works underway
b. Minor drainage and other improvements funded under LRCIP
c. Resheeting works funded under NDRRA
i. approximately 3.5km total with an estimated value of $200,000
ii. these resheeting areas west of 22km mark
d. Resheeting works co-funded by Council and NSW Government under Fixing
Local Roads Program (FLRP)
i. Approximately 7km total
ii. Funding split $238,230 Council and $714,692 FLRP
iii. Works utilise excess material from other works (at 22km mark and
Merricumbene) to allow lifting over rock bars and improved crossfall
and drainage
iv. Then good quality resheeting gravel overlaid the preparation works
x) Repair of major culvert west of Grumleys Rocks about 24.2km mark (estimated
value $200,000m funded under NDRRA)
a. Works underway and expected to be completed early March
b. 1500mm piped culvert required under-pinning with mass concrete footing
and mass concrete block wall
xi) Major culvert replacement approximately 31km mark (estimated value $150,000
funded under LRCIP)
a. Replacement of existing failing corrugated culvert with a 1500mm diameter
reinforced concrete pipe
b. Works scheduled to begin late in the second quarter of 2022
c. Side track to be in place for residents during culvert replacement
xii) Reconstruction and sealing west of Stewarts Road (estimated value $505,000)
a. Approximate length of new seal is 1km
b. Co-funded by Council and NSW Government Fixing Local Roads Program
c. Funding split $126,250 Council and $378,750 FLRP
d. Programmed to begin second quarter of 2022
xiii) Improved batter resilience at three sites (estimated value $250,000 funded under
LRCIP
a. Removal of trees on high rock batter faces to reduce root-jacking
b. Scaling of loose rock from rock faces to reduce rock fall potential
c. Works scheduled for March/April 2022
d. Works at Grumleys Rocks (24.2 km from Moruya). Currently scheduled to
begin during March, this work will involve bringing down material onto the
roadway closing it to traffic flow and causing intermittently delays.
xiv) Other landslides on Araluen Road
a. There are still other lower priority damage sites along the roadway where
geotech assessment, designs and works will be required to recover the road
b. These will be progressed as designs are complete and resources become
available
xv) Batter repairs on Larrys Mountain Road
a. There is a series of recovery works to be undertaken between I-Ridge Road
and Araluen Road to recover the shoulder and batters
b. Council will implement variable message signs to notify residents of the
proposed dates of closure prior to the closure being implemented. Alternate
routes are available via Araluen Road.
c. During the works, the closure will be in place from 7am to 5pm Monday to
Friday
d. This work is expected to take approximately 2-3 weeks and it programmed for
March subject to suitable weather
