William Street to be upgraded with hot mix asphalt
William Street, one of Orange’s busiest roads is about to get a major upgrade with the first stage of the work done at night to reduce the impact on businesses.
The project is expected to start on March 13 and is expected to take two to three weeks and will involve contactors digging up the William St roadway between March Street and Dalton Street.
The new road base will then have concrete hardeners added before it is given a 220mm hot mix asphalt seal.
Orange City Council’s Infrastructure Chair Glenn Taylor said William Street has become one of Orange’s major roads and it’s been in need of an upgrade for some time.
“There will much more inconvenience than with usual roadworks, because of the scale of this project and the location given there are many businesses on William Street,” Cr Taylor said.
“But once it is finished I’m sure Orange residents will be delighted with the result.
“While the bypass was being built William Street played an important role as a de facto bypass. It’s showing the wear and tear of that heavy traffic and this upgrade will make a major difference.”
NIGHT MOVES : Work began March 13 on the William St upgrade
During the first stage of the project, crews will work at night digging up sections of the road to a depth of about half a metre.
The road base will then be replaced with new road base of a better standard.
The road base upgrade is expected to take about six nights, and will be completed in sections of about 110 metres and one lane at a time.
In the project 2nd stage, to happen during the daytime, the hot mix asphalt will then be applied in three layers, the first and second layer will be 90 mm thick and the last layer will be 40 mm thick. (Total 220 mm)
Cr Taylor said the three-layered hot mix asphalt would take about seven nights to complete and won’t be done until the final days of the project.
“Because William Street is such a busy road, it has to remain open during every day of this upgrade project.
“Each night crews will be in there removing the base and replacing it with the better materials, doing one section at a time. Then at the end of each shift the road has to be brought up to a level that can be driven on each day,” Cr Taylor said.
“So, while the work continues, drivers will have to put up with driving on a dirt road but I can assure everyone that when this road is finished it will be of a very high quality.”
Cr Taylor said hot mix was an expensive road seal and as such it would only be used in the traffic lanes of William Street.
The road upgrade will be 8.6 metres wide, with widening at the March Street intersection and the approach to the Dalton Street roundabout.
“There isn’t much point putting hot mix on the side of the road where people are parking but we won’t be neglecting that area. A bitumen gravel seal will be applied on the parking areas at the side of the road.
“Crews have been going full steam ahead to complete the full list of projects for this road building season and they’ve been making great progress,” Cr Taylor said.
WILLIAM ST PROJECT : Orange City Council’s Assistant Works manager Mark Frecklington, pictured with Tyrepower store manager Tim Allen, was door-knocking businesses in William St today keeping them in touch with the timetable for the upgrade project , which is due to begin on Monday next week.
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