June 19, 2013

Flood repair works worth $7 million will start next week on Oakey-Cooyar Road to fix an 8.5km stretch and realign a 400m stretch around a landslip.

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said Queensland Bridge and Civil would deliver the works to repair the road which was severely damaged in the 2010/2011 floods.

“Works will commence from next week with completion expected by the end of the year,” Mrs Frecklington said.

“Eleven sections of flood-damaged road will be repaired between the towns of Oakey and Cooyar at a cost of $5.6 million.

“A small section of road will be repaired at the intersection of Sexton Weise Road and Oakey-Cooyar Road and new road safety signs will be installed at the intersection.

“Oakey-Cooyar Road is a major freight route for heavy vehicles and it is important we rebuild our transport network so we can ensure our major industries, including tourism, agriculture, resource and construction, can continue to operate across the State.”

Traffic controllers will be in place during the roadworks, with traffic flow restricted to one lane and temporary speed reductions in place.

The works will generally be carried out Monday to Saturday between 6:00am and 6:00pm and where possible, the road will reopen to two lanes at reduced speed outside these hours.

Mrs Frecklington said motorists may experience delays of up to 10 minutes and should factor in additional travel time for their journey.

She said works at the landslip would start later this year and be finished within a few months.

“A landslip in the Highgrove area formed a large crack on the left side of the southbound lane. The road will be realigned around this short section at a cost of $1.4 million,” she said.

“Restoration of the slip site will include soil reinforcement and road repairs, including the realignment of the road towards the west.

“The realignment involves excavating a slope next to the northbound lane on the western side of the road.”

Funding for these projects has been provided through Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA), a joint federal-State initiative.

Under these arrangements, the Federal Government provides 75 per cent of funding and the State Government provides 25 per cent.