Stage 1 Main City Levee upgrade moves from concept to construction

Wagga Wagga residents will start to see work on the first stage of the Main City Levee upgrade from next week.

Crews from Central West Civil, who are delivering stage 1, started site preparation yesterday.

In preparation for the heavy equipment to move in, on-site works this week include surveying and setting out of the works and installing temporary fences associated with the works.

“Having crews on site officially moves this vitally important project from concept to construction,” Director Commercial Operations Caroline Angel said.

“While, it might not look like much to start with, by mid-October residents will start to notice the heavy machinery on site, working away on the upgrade.”

Senior Project Manager Darryl Woods said upgrading the levee was a major project and some disruptions will be experienced during the works.

“To make way for the levee upgrade, some sections of the Wiradjuri Walking Track will be closed for a period of time with detours and signs in place,” Mr Woods said.

“Council and Central West Civil will aim to ensure any disruptions are kept to a minimum and we thank the community for their cooperation during the delivery of the levee upgrade.”

Stage 1 of the Main City Levee upgrade is being delivered in two stages, starting at Flowerdale and working around to Wiradjuri Bridge before moving on to Copland Street and working south to the Kooringal Road Monumental Cemetery.

Both sections consists of embankment levee earthen works and the construction of two concrete spillways, one at Flowerdale and the other upstream from Copland Street.

Stage 1 is expected to be complete by April 2018.

The Main City Levee upgrade has had to go through a thorough and considered process to reach construction. This process included many studies, designs, securing funding sources and extensive community input and feedback.

What will residents see during construction?

During the first week of construction residents will see temporary fences erected and various preparation works completed. By mid-October machinery, such as graders, diggers and trucks, will be working on site.

The stage 1 upgrade works include removing the existing topsoil and grass, shaping and scraping the existing levee to allow room for the new material and compacting the new levee to the required standards.

The slope and shape of the levee is designed to minimise erosion and will be finished off with a decomposed granite surface allowing for all-weather access and reducing moisture entry into the clay bank.

In total, machinery will move 25,000 cubic metres of clay, topsoil and granite as part of the stage 1 upgrade of the levee.

Will there be any interruptions during construction?  

During construction of the levee upgrade some sections of the Wiradjuri Walking Track, which runs alongside the Murrumbidgee River, will be subject to temporary closures.

These closures are to allow for the safe construction of the levee upgrade.

Closures of the walking track associated with the Main City Levee upgrade are:

• Flowerdale Lagoon – closed for duration of project (October 2017 – April 2018)
• Copland Street/Kooringal Road roundabout to Monumental Cemetery – closed from 1 November 2017 to February 2018

All dates are subject to weather and works and any additional interruptions will be advertised accordingly.

What about Stage 2?

Stage 2 of the Main City Levee upgrade, pending tender process, is expected to start in April 2018 and be complete by the end of that year.

Stage 2 will comprise of predominately capped sheet piles that will protrude from the earth levee running the length of the Cadell Place wall (parallel to Fitzmaurice Street) to Johnson Street, then from, Riverina Playhouse to Hammond Avenue. In addition to the sheet piling, raising and extending the existing concrete retaining walls along Cadell Place and behind Watermark apartments, will also be part of this stage.

Want more?

More information on the Main City Levee upgrade is available at www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/levee