Armidale Regional Council has approved funding of $880,000 towards improvement of a steep section of the Armidale-Kempsey Road.
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Administrator Dr Ian Tiley, said this project will address an area of local community concern by improving the quality of the road – adding to its potential longevity and ensuring the safest possible conditions for road-users.
“The Kempsey Road is a major thoroughfare connecting the tablelands to the coast,” Dr Tiley said. “It receives considerable traffic and is a valuable asset for our communities and industries including agriculture and tourism.”
The road was reclassified in 2009 by the then NSW Government, and handed back to the former Armidale Dumaresq Council to manage.
“Kempsey Road is in constant use by the region’s residents, travellers touring the region and heavy vehicles,” said Dr Tiley.
Kempsey Road is in constant use by the region’s residents.
- Ian Tiley
“However, it is also situated in an area of high rainfall, which means there are times when washaways and other issues damage the road and require urgent attention.
“We hope that this project, which will upgrade and bitumen seal a steep 3.3km long section of Kempsey Road from Oaky River Power Station Entrance to Oaky River Bridge, will have a longer term impact and reduce the need for frequent maintenance.”
A traffic count carried out in 2015 showed an Annual Average Daily Traffic volume of 127 vehicles with 15.2 per cent heavy vehicles. Kempsey Road provides for the movement of generally rural based produce to markets either on the Tablelands or the coast.
The section of road to be improved is very difficult for trucks to climb after rain events when the gravel surface deteriorates from erosion and corrugations.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said the current road simply wasn’t up to scratch.
“This section of Kempsey Road is steep and tightly winding, a challenging road that is only compounded by the number of heavy vehicles that use it as essential thoroughfare,” Mr Marshall said.
“Often you’ll come across a truck navigating an unpaved section of the road and have significantly reduced visibility. Resurfacing the road will lower upkeep costs for ratepayers, and reduce the instances where drivers find themselves in trouble.”
The Kempsey Road project will cost $880,000. Council will seek $440,000 support towards this project from the Fixing Country Roads Program.
Should that funding become available, $440,000 will be reallocated to the Stronger Regions Fund to consider other projects.
This is one of several projects, approved in the first round of major projects considered by the Stronger Regions Assessment Panel and funded by the NSW Government’s $10 million fund for merged councils.
“Stronger Regions Funding has been provided to Councils that have undertaken mergers in NSW,” Dr Tiley said. “It is important that we are able to allocate these funds to major projects including roads.”
The major projects program of $9 million supports larger scale priority Armidale Regional Council infrastructure and services projects that deliver long term economic and social benefits to communities.
