Testing in the area has shown the presence of naturally-occurring asbestos, which will inform the road’s rebuilding works
Work to repair the Northern Distributor Road in Orange, NSW is expected to start in coming months following completion of testing that confirmed the existence of naturally-occurring asbestos (NOA) in the area.
Transport for NSW assistant director West Holly Davies says the testing results would inform plans to rebuild the road, which was built by Orange City Council and maintained by the council as a local road until early March 2023 when it became a state road.
“Orange is a known area for NOA so it was vital that we carry out this testing before starting any work to rebuild the Northern Distributor Road,” Davies says.
“Two of the 52 samples taken on February 5 and 6 contained naturally-occurring asbestos, and a further 10 samples had material that could potentially contain NOA.
“While those results were not a surprise, they do confirm that our plans to rebuild a 2.8 kilometre section of the Northern Distributor Road cannot include extensive excavation that could disturb the material.
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“NOA in its natural state is not considered dangerous to humans but it can become dangerous when broken up and moved.
“That means the best and safest way to rebuild the Northern Distributor Road will be to lay new layers of asphalt over the existing surface, slowly building up the road and filling the potholes and rough areas that have forced us to temporarily lower the speed limit to 60km/h.”
Work to install the first new layer of asphalt will take place before winter as cold and wet conditions can impact the successful placement of asphalt.
Crews will then return later in the year to continue the job, with several thicker layers to be placed to provide a smoother road surface for all motorists and allow for the eventual return of an 80 km/h speed limit for all vehicles.
“Motorists will see some improvement to the road surface once the first layer of asphalt is poured but a single layer will not rebuild the Northern Distributor Road to the standard we expect,” Davies says.
“NOA has previously been identified at a number of Transport for NSW work sites between Bathurst and Orange and on each occasion has been suitably managed to best practice industry standards, ensuring safety and regulatory requirements are met and risks mitigated for the community and workers.”