Council staff ‘dig deep’ to find cause of Lord Baden Powell Drive issue

What’s going on with Lord Baden Powell Drive?

It’s a question residents – and Council engineers – have been asking in recent weeks following record rainfall over winter and early spring.

With repairs unable to take place due to the ongoing wet weather and Council resources dedicated to the flood response, the road was closed in October as the surface had become unsafe for traffic.

Over the past few weeks Council has undertaken extensive investigation works to uncover the root of the problem, including drilling three-metre deep holes at regular intervals.

The tests found silty material two metres below the surface had become so saturated that water could be seen flowing out of the road failures during downpours.

"Lord Baden Powell Drive has been severely impacted by the extended wet weather event over the past few months," General Manager Alan Eldridge said.

"What may have looked like potholes to the naked eye was actually a symptom of an abnormal issue deep below the surface.

"With so much rain this year, water was seeping from the rocky area that Lord Baden Powell Drive was originally constructed on and causing depressions and failures in the road surface."

With the cause of the issue identified, repair works have begun today and will take about two weeks to complete, weather permitting.

Based on the testing results, two sub-soil drains will be installed 2.2m deep across the road to drain water away from the silty material. The road base will then be stabilised and a primer seal used to help the normal seal adhere to the inclined road surface.

Lord Baden Powell Drive will continue to be closed during the works.

"We appreciate the community’s ongoing patience as the road has been closed for some time," Mr Eldridge said.

"I understand it may have been frustrating for motorists, but I assure you it has also been frustrating for our staff as this was an out-of-the-ordinary problem and needed to be thoroughly investigated for the safety of the community."

For updates on road closures around the city, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/roads.