In a first for Wagga Wagga City Council, it is using Geogrid reinforcement technology in the rehabilitation of several roads as part of its program of major civil works currently underway across the local government area.
The technology is being trialled on the rehabilitation of Johnston, Church and Cross streets in Wagga Wagga's CBD, which have been carried out over the past three weeks.
Geogrid reinforcement is a plastic mesh product that acts as a stress relieving interface between the gravel component of the road pavement and the asphalt wearing course (pavement surface).
The Geogrid reinforcement is rolled out on a thin layer of asphalt, which is then covered by a 50mm thick asphalt seal.
Manager Transport & Traffic Jamie Harwood said Council has been looking for innovative construction options to improve the road rehabilitation process.
"The intent of the Geogrid is to minimise cracking in the wearing course due to environmental factors such as seasonal temperature fluctuations and the stabilisation of the gravel in the pavement," Mr Harwood said.
"Case studies in Europe show that this product is highly effective in reducing on-going maintenance costs, extending service life and reducing the overall cost of construction.
"We're also going to be trialling it when we rehabilitate the Kooringal Road / Lake Albert Road roundabout, so it will give us a good indication of how it's going to work with the different traffic patterns in these locations."
The works on Johnston, Church and Cross streets are just one part of an extensive program for repair, rehabilitation and renewal of several key connector and heavily used roads in the local government area, which kicked off at the start of the new year.
It is being carried out in three separate packages; two by contractors and the third by Council.
Works started this week on a 300-metre section of Bakers Lane (south of Hammond Avenue) and on Copland Street between Kooringal Road and Blaxland Road, which will be followed by the section from Lake Albert Road to the Tumbarumba branch line level crossing.
Stabilisation and rehabilitation works to improve the strength of the pavement continue on a 1.3-kilometre stretch of Byrnes Road from Trahairs Road, heading south.
"We have so much going on across Wagga Wagga and surrounding areas over the next four months, as this is the perfect time to build these roads, weather wise," Mr Harwood said.
"As we push further into the year, the works program will move a lot faster, because we will be switching into asphalt mode, where it is not so dependent on the warmer weather. Some of these will be carried out as night works.
"We ask the community to be patient with the traffic disruptions these works will cause. The results will be worth it."
Among the rehabilitation works already completed this year, excluding line marking, are Boorooma Street, a 200-metre stretch of Gregadoo Road (western end), a section of Main Street in Lake Albert, and Arnott Street in Ashmont.
