Prior to the closure of the main arterial linking Kooringal with Turvey Park, a four-week investigation into the road surface declared it “dangerous”.

Record rainfall during winter – capped off by the wettest Wagga September on record – is being blamed for “silty material” two metres below the surface, which had become so saturated that water was seeping from cracks in the road.

Sub-soil drains have been installed 2.2m deep across the road to drain water away from the area, road base works are under way, and sealing should be completed on Saturday.

Council will take advantage of the roadworks to replace 650sqm of existing bitumen with 250 tonnes of asphalt at the corner of Lord Baden Powell Drive and Lake Albert Road.

Council’s commercial operations manager Caroline Angel said thick asphalt is best suited to the traffic conditions at the intersection rather than bitumen.

“We ask the community to be patient as Lord Baden Powell Drive has been closed for slightly longer than originally planned,” she said.

“However, it has allowed us to undertake the additional works at the intersection, which are scheduled to begin (Wednesday) and should be complete by the end of the week, weather permitting.

“Considering the high volume of traffic movements at this intersection, asphalt is the preferred material of choice.

“The works are similar to recent projects at roundabouts on Red Hill Road and Tarcutta Street earlier this year, and the just completed works at Glenfield Road.” 

The left lane of Lake Albert Road at the intersection will be closed from 9.30am to 3pm from Wednesday to Friday.

Council hopes not to pay for the roadworks, having lumped the Lord Baden Powell Drive bill in with its $24 million application to the state government to pave over potholes and patch up crumbling roads

In total Eastern Riverina councils have tallied the region’s roadworks bill to fix flood damage at $36 million.

Council has insisted the closure was not pothole related.

Detours are in place along Lake Albert Road and Macleay Street until works have finished.