There will be upcoming closures on the Northern Distributor Road, used by heavy vehicles to bypass Orange, as crews carry out geotechnical investigations, as part of plans to reinstate the 80 km/h speed limit.
The road loops between the Mitchell Highway at its furthest east juncture and Escort Way on the western side of the city.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) says sections of the road are in poor condition.
According to a TfNSW spokesperson, the section of road in the worst condition is between Icely Road and its intersection with the Mitchell Highway, where a reduced speed limit of 60 km/h is in place due to the uneven and inconsistent road surface.
“The first step we need to take in order to repair the road is to carry out geotechnical investigations of the road corridor to determine, among other things, if Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) is present,” the spokesperson said.
“As the Orange region is a known NOA zone, geotechnical investigation is required prior to any repair work taking place.
“An external specialist contractor will work with Transport for NSW crews to carry out the testing for the presence of NOA.
“Up to 80 samples will be taken for testing along a 2.8-kilometre section of the road, with crews to use a coring machine in the road pavement and shoulder throughout the length of the site.”
NOA has been identified on other TfNSW projects in the past, requiring it to be suitably managed before any other works take place.
“When NOA is identified within a worksite, Transport for NSW works to an approved NOA Management Plan with guidelines endorsed by Safework NSW and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA),” the spokesperson said.
“Motorists or other members of the public may notice workers in white asbestos protection suits and masks on-site, as well as dust monitors and additional dust suppression controls.”
To reduce the impact on motorists, this investigation work will be carried out at night under a full road closure of the Northern Distributor Road between the Mitchell Highway and Ophir Road.
The full road closure will take place on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 February between 8pm and 5am. A further single lane closure is also likely to be required on Monday February 10.
A detour will be in place for all vehicles via the Mitchell Highway using Molong Road, Summer Street and Bathurst Road, adding up to 15 minutes of additional travel time. There will be minimal travel time impacts for through traffic using the Mitchell Highway.
There will be traffic control and single lane closures on Summer Street at the railway crossing to assist in managing traffic flow on the detour route.
The Northern Distributor Road became a State Road on March 2, 2023 when responsibility and care for the road was transferred from Orange City Council.
Orange City Council still carries out maintenance of the Northern Distributor Road under a Road Maintenance Council Contract (RMCC) with Transport for NSW, however, this investigation work is being monitored and supervised by Transport for NSW’s environmental consultants.
Soil sample test results will inform the design and approach to the road repairs and patching work which, in turn, will determine the funding required as well as the timeline and work schedule.
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