Construction on the East Orange Channel begins

The construction company working on widening the East Orange Channel has a challenging task, construction within an active storm water channel.

Bathurst-based company Hibbo Hire, won the million dollar tender for the job of widening the channel from two metres to six metres, and it has started construction on the150 metre section between Byng Street and McLachlan Street.

Orange City Council’s Infrastructure Committee Chair Glenn Taylor said he was delighted construction had started last week.

“The new channel will be 6 metres wide at the bottom compared to the previous two metres, doubling the capacity of the structure to carry stormwater away,” Cr Taylor said.

“Stormwater channels are an often overlooked piece of infrastructure, but they’re crucial particularly in wet years like this one.”

One of the first steps will be digging out the old channel lining and widening the base.

The excavation will then be covered with a layer of large, weaved fabric called geo-fabric and coarse gravel to let the water continue to flow underneath while the new base slab is constructed.

Weather permitting construction is expected to finish by the end of the year.

WORK BEGINS: Construction widening the East Orange Channel has begun and is expect to be completed by the year's end.