June 12, 2013
South Burnett residents have something celebrate with the completion of roadworks on the Blackbutt Range.
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has thanked local residents, businesses and motorists for their patience and co-operation while works were underway on the enormous reconstruction task.
“The January 2011 flood event caused 16 landslips along a 2.5km stretch of the D’Aguilar Highway between Moore and Benarkin,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“This damage initially closed this vital freight route to all traffic until the construction of a sidetrack enabled the highway to remain open at single lane operation.
“During the long-term lane closures, there has been extraordinary patience and good nature demonstrated by motorists, particularly heavy vehicle operators and commuters who use this route several times each week.”
Mes Frecklington said the complexity and enormity of the project posed significant challenges that impacted on its delivery.
“Crews needed to excavate into the mountainside, as well as addressing drainage issues and stabilising slopes,” she said.
“The geological ground conditions were much more complex than originally anticipated, which changed the scale of the project, budget and timeframes.
“Wet weather in the first half of 2012 and in early 2013 also significantly interrupted works and caused further damage to sections that were yet to be repaired.”
She said completion of the project was a major achievement for all involved.
“The engineering feat to reconstruct Blackbutt Range can be seen in the new landscape through the range,” she said.
“The equivalent of about 200 Olympic swimming pools of earth has been shifted, and in its place is some 36,000m³ of embankment work, 6200m³ of shotcrete, 9km of soil nails, and 10,750 tonnes of asphalt for the new road surface.
“A lot of behind-the-scenes effort also went into the project including those that worked on road design, attended to environmental matters and, most importantly, ensured the safety of road users and road workers.”
The reconstruction project was delivered under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, a joint Federal and State governement initiative.
Under these arrangements, the Federal Government provided 75 per cent of the funding.
