Australia, Roadworks, Transport News

Northern Distributor to close for asbestos search

Transport for NSW will carry out geotechnical works to determine if naturally occurring asbestos is present in a section of road set to be upgraded

Transport for NSW is set to carry out geotechnical investigations of the Northern Distributor Road corridor in Orange as part of its plan to reinstate the road’s 80 km/h speed limit.

Uneven and inconsistent road surfaces have forced a speed limit drop to 60 km/h on the worst sections of the road, including between Icely Road and its intersection with the Mitchell Highway.

The road is a key freight route for trucks looking to bypass Orange, and it loops between the Mitchell Highway at its furthest east juncture and Escort Way on the western side of the city.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson detailed the next steps needed in order to improve the road surface quality and reinstate the increased speed limit.

“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 says.

“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 testing for the presence of NOA.”

Asbestos minerals are commonly found around the world in certain types of rocks and soils including serpentine, amphibole and anthphyllite, crocidolite and tremolite.

NOA has previously been identified on other Transport projects and has been managed to best practice industry standards to ensure workers and local communities are kept safe.

“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 says.

“Motorists and 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.”

The investigations will be carried out at night under 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, while single lane closure is likely to be required on Monday 10 February.

A detour will be in place for all vehicles via the Mitchell Highway using Molong Road, Summer Street and Bathurst Road which will add up to 15 minutes of travel time.

Soil sample tests will inform the design and approach to the road repairs and patching work which will, in turn, determine funding, timeline and work schedule.

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