Lord Baden Powell Drive works almost complete, intersection to be upgraded

Repair works at Lord Baden Powell Drive are almost complete after the road was ravaged by record rainfall over winter and early spring.

The road is set to be opened by the end of the week, weather permitting, with an additional asphalt project to be undertaken at the Lake Albert Road intersection while the street is closed.

The timing also aligns with contractor Fulton Hogan being in Wagga to complete asphalt works on Glenfield Road, which were completed on 28 November.

Commercial Operations Sector Manager Caroline Angel said about 650sqm of existing bitumen will be replaced with 250 tonnes of asphalt at the Lord Baden Powell Drive-Lake Albert Road intersection.

“We ask the community to be patient as Lord Baden Powell Drive has been closed for slightly longer than originally planned,” she said.

“However, it has allowed us to undertake the additional works at the intersection, which are scheduled to begin on 30 November and should be complete by the end of the week, weather permitting.”

Ms Angel said that thick asphalt is best suited to the traffic conditions at the intersection rather than bitumen.

“Considering the high volume of traffic movements at this intersection, asphalt is the preferred material of choice,” she said.

“The works are similar to recent projects at roundabouts on Red Hill Road and Tarcutta Street earlier this year, and the just completed works at Glenfield Road.”

Lord Baden Powell Drive will be closed to traffic for the remainder of the week and the left lane of Lake Albert Road at the intersection will be closed from 9.30am to 3pm from 30 November to 2 December for the asphalt works.

On Lord Baden Powell Drive itself, the source of the problem was found about two metres underground, with water seeping from the rocky area that the road was originally constructed on.

Sub-soil drains have been installed 2.2m deep across the road to drain water away from the area. Road base works are now under way and sealing will be completed on Saturday, pending contractor availability.

Lord Baden Powell Drive formed part of Council’s joint application by the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC) for funding assistance to repair roads damaged by the wet weather.