A LANDSLIP north of Lithgow that twice sent redirected traffic through Bathurst has been fixed almost a year after it occurred.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The damage to the Castlereagh Highway south of Capertee occurred on the Bathurst 1000 weekend last year after heavy rain that also led to flooding along the Macquarie.
Castlereagh Highway traffic was sent through Bathurst at the time of the initial landslip and then again not long after due to emergency maintenance at the site and work to recover a fallen high voltage power pole.
Transport for NSW has announced this week that the $13 million slope remediation project at the landslip site has now been completed.
"This has been a complicated project from start to finish, involving the incremental excavation of loose material and temporary stabilisation using rock nails, before permanent support infrastructure was built," regional director west Alistair Lunn said.
"That permanent support involved the construction of a terramesh wall downslope from the road, which consisted of layers of steel mesh and compacted backfill material which was used to rebuild the damaged slope.
"All the while, the southbound lane was closed for 11 months so crews could work safely and guide traffic through the site in both directions under single lane arrangements.
"While monitoring the slope, our crews identified further cracking in the pavement near the landslip area which required an extension of the initial scope of work.
"As well as the slope remediation, we were able to widen the impacted section of the Castlereagh Highway to 11 metres, increase the shoulder widths and improve drainage, all of which will improve the safety along this section of the Castlereagh Highway."
What a difference
- August 2022 rain at Bathurst Airport: 115.8 millimetres.
- August 2023 rain at Bathurst Airport: 42 millimetres.
- September 2022 rain at Bathurst Airport: 109.8 millimetres.
- September 2023 rain at Bathurst Airport: 13.4 millimetres.
Transport for NSW says it engaged Pan Civil to conduct the remediation work along the 250 metres impacted by the landslip.
The road pavement was also replaced and crews installed a kerb and a safety barrier.
"This was a specialised job which required specific equipment to negotiate the cliff face for the team to carry out repairs, including a Menzi Muck Walking Excavator, which we call a spider excavator," Mr Lunn said.
"We also used a 13-tonne and two 23-tonne excavators, dump trucks, drill rigs and grout pumps.
"As a result, almost 12 months on from the wet weather event which caused widespread damage, we have smoother, safer and more efficient journeys for all motorists travelling through Pearsons Lookout."
Meanwhile, work is continuing at other sites affected by the big rains of recent years.
A seven-month slope stabilisation project started at Mount Victoria last month, while a section of Bells Line near the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens entry has been reduced to one lane for slope repair work.
