Updates 2024

6 November 2024

The residual landslip material has nearly all been removed to a depth of around three meters. 

Clean rock will be punched into the remaining residual landslip material to create a suitable subgrade. 

The project remains on schedule to be completed by the end of 2024, as long as no unexpected issues are discovered before then. 

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2 October 2024

The work that is ongoing at Oonah Rd is enormous in scale and complex in delivery, with the site engineer forecasting that the road will be closed at least until the end of 2024. 

 

The above photograph shows the section near Guide Road that is ready for sealing once the weather is dry enough. 

 

The section closer to Highclere, which local refer to as ‘the Hill climb section’, is currently being repaired and is about a month away from being finished (if the weather permits).

 

However, during the repairs to the Guide Road end, a third section of road failures was found between the two sites, which also requires a mass bulk out and repair.  

 

With the materials coming from a quarry located at one end of the project, this necessitates works to be confined to one site at a time. 

 

With the best-case scenario being for a completion of work by the end of 2024, the road could be reopened in January 2025, provided the ongoing wet weather does not extend too much longer, and additional locations of failures and landslips do not occur.  

 

Council appreciates that the long time-frame for this project does negatively impact on local residents who would otherwise use the road, but large sums have been invested in the project to ensure that all machinery and workforce required has been available to finish the mammoth project at the earliest possible opportunity.

 

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22 July 2024

Four active sites on Oonah Rd

• Oonah Road currently has four active sites with road failures.

• The section near Guide Road (image above) has had the fill embankment removed and replaced with over 27,000 tonnes of rock fill and is close to being finished.

• Another landslip failure was found closer to Highclere and is being repaired (image below).

• The hairpin is the next section to be dug out, with a large amount of material that requires excavating.

• A fourth section will be dug out after this one with similar issues.

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12 April 2024

Oonah Road East (Guide Road)

• The residual landslip material has nearly all been removed. This has been located to a depth of 13m below road level and has required a considerable volume of unsuitable material to be removed in a staged method to ensure no catastrophic embankment failures

• Rock fill is starting to be placed to rebuild the embankment

• Work on Far East is on hold until this section is complete to ensure free truck movements through site

   Above: Unsuitable material at a depth of 13m has been removed 

Oonah Road (Douglas Road)

• Single lane traffic arrangements are in operation
• Digout of soft spots and installation of new culvert has been completed
• Rock buttress fill is nearing completion
• The culvert on the top corner has been found to be collapsed in the middle, so will be dugout and replaced
• Further tree and branch removal will be conducted from Douglas Road to the farm gate where Harding's
  compound is. Most branches in this area will be hitting trucks and there are some trees ready to fall during the next
  major rain event
• Repair works on the road above the culvert at Douglas road will include a 300mm concrete beam on both sides of the failed rock pitching, plus localised road re-shaping to make a low point over the existing pipes, with clean-out of the upstream inlet and new rock pitching and Hardings hotmix reseal
• Gravel resheeting will start from the end of the hotmix to the entry to the Harding's compound
• It is anticipated that all traffic will be able to pass through site from Monday 19 February (weather depending)
• Single Lane, Stop / Slow & 15 min delays will still be in operation until works are completed in March

   Above: Backfilling of the rock buttress is nearly complete

 

Oonah Road East (Guide Road)

 

• Sheet pile wall has been completed with king posts
• Excavation works are scheduled to begin next week (weather depending)
• Re-sheeting will be completed in this section once backfill is back to current road level

 

Oonah Road Far East

• Rock filling has commenced in the hairpin. Water is still coming through the rock shelf under the road rather than the culverts. The rock buttress is being interfaced with the rock shelf and will allow for free draining of this water.
• The road crossing culverts have been completed on the hill back to Highclere. An additional culvert will be replaced
  due to an obvious depression in the road on the downhill fill.
• There are other sections along Oonah road that have been identified as possible problem areas with obvious signs of the road sagging. A report on these areas  is being prepared to determine what, if any, remedial works are required.

Above: Rock filling has commenced in the hairpin at Oonah Road Far East.

Thank you so much to the community for your patience as we rebuilt this road.

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22 January 2024

Oonah Road (Douglas Road)

• Rock backfilling has begun
• A full road closure is required for 2 days to repair existing soft spots and install the new culvert
  • The road will be closed on Wednesday 31 January and Thursday 01 February.
• Re-sheeting will be completed in this section once backfill is back to current road level

 

Oonah East (Guide Road)

• Bridgepro have begun sheet piling tests with good results
• A 70m sheet pile wall be constructed through the landslip
• This is required to protect the workers during excavations of up to 5m deep and will be removed after the backfill has been completed

Above: Oonah Road East (Guide Road) - Sheet pile wall will be constructed through the landslip area

Oonah East

• Civilscape are currently upgrading the failed culverts down the hill
• In-fill and reshaping of the washed-out V Drain has commenced
• Rock fill in the hairpin has begun

Above: Rock fill in the hair pin has commenced