If ever there was a road in Blayney that has been begging for repair it's Carcoar Street.
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The crackled, tortoiseshell like surface, particularly around King George Oval, has been an embarrassment for years.
Soon though the boneshaking surface will be dug up, disposed of and the road will be completely rebuilt thanks to the state and federal governments going 50/50 in the $1,864,435 to fund the project.
Blayney Shire Council have allocated $1.1 million to the project from the 2020/21 Operational Plan taking the total cost of the task to $2.9 million.
Blayney mayor Scott Ferguson said that the project will go well beyond a simple road reconstruction.
"This project will enhance parking around King George Oval and we'll be reconstructing the footpaths to really improve that section of road," he said.
The rubberised patchwork that exists now has only ever been a temporary fix councillor Ferguson said.
"Moisture gets trapped between the road base and the bitumen which causes the problem," he said.
"The rubberised repair has certainly fixed it, but once that begins to fail the surface will just sheet off."
Blayney council have allocated $1.1 million to the project from the 2020/21 Operational Plan taking the total cost of the task to $2.9 million.
Cr Ferguson said to ensure that moisture doesn't return, the project would see large-scale stormwater drainage work undertaken.
"This is why it's so expensive," he said. "We're going to undertake the reconfiguration of footpaths, services and improve parking, and thanks to this support we can do it all in one hit."
Federal Member for Calare and Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education, Andrew Gee said that projects such as Carcoar Street will support employment in regional areas.
"This funding will ensure that essential, shovel-ready projects can get moving as soon as possible, while increasing job opportunities for local tradies," Mr Gee said.
"Country roads are often riddled with potholes and require ongoing maintenance. This funding will not only improve road safety for locals, but also for those travelling to and from the area."
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said that Carcoar Street was about delivering small projects that can make a big difference for local communities.
"This is about delivering smoother, safer trips along the roads our community use every day and projects that will drive valuable jobs in our region over the next 12 months as councils get cracking on delivery."
Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
