Repair strategy on the way

WITH the poor state of local roads and the prevalence of potholes in mind, City of Ballarat staff have announced their approach to repairs.

Mayor Cr Des Hudson said above average rainfall has been the major cause for roads to fail, and there’s a backlog of about 800 repair jobs.

“All of our residents have been talking about this issue,” he said. “We want to own it.

“We understand people need to be safe on our roads, and some of the potholes we’ve seen are really deep and causing damage.

“In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been able to commit more resources, with three new teams coming on to be part of the road maintenance crew, and we’re waiting for the weather to fine up to… tackle this issue.”

Over the next three to four months, and if the weather improves, Cr Hudson said the City’s aim will be to get the job list down to zero.

Executive manager of operations Luke Ives said the size and number of “defects” on a road will determine priority sites, but people can expect to see lots of activity.

“Our first response is to repair the defect. We’ll go through and fill that with a variety of product, from spray seal to full grade product, as well as asphalt,” he said.

“From a contractor perspective, that requires the removal of the road, so we’ll take out about 150 millimetres of material, and replace it with asphalt over a larger section.

“For spray seal, it will be a series of closing roads at a particular time and laying down an emulsion and a stone on top.”

Director of infrastructure and environment Bridget Wetherall asked motorists to be kind.

“People don’t like potholes, and they don’t like roadworks,” she said. “But our staff are experiencing some challenges in dealing with the general public when they’re out on the road, doing their best.”