Byron Shire Council has awarded a $20 million tender for the repair of the Federal Drive landslip.
At its March meeting, councillors resolved to award the contract for the remediation of the landslip and the reconstruction of Federal Drive.
“We were hoping to award this tender sooner, but the tendered costs significantly exceeded the original estimate,” said Mayor, Michael Lyon.
“Because the project is funded by the NSW Government, given the significant difference in price, staff had to be certain that the Department of Transport was prepared to fund the entire project.
“Council simply does not have the financial reserves to absorb a project of this magnitude, so we had to be certain the Natural Disaster funding was in place.
“In fact, this is an example of the problems that Councils are facing in relation to the flood damage in that initial estimates have not been able to account for the impacts of resource shortages, price increases and demands across our region,” he said.
He said staff were now finalising the work program with the successful contractor, with work expected to start in late April.
“I am told that the timeframe for this project is roughly 12 months but that is dependent on a lot of things including the weather,” the Mayor said.
The rehabilitation of Federal Drive includes:
- Reconstruction of the road;
- Drainage work including the replacement of four culverts;
- Repair and reseal of the road pavement;
- Stabilisation of the land slip (soil nailing, tree removal, earthwork);
- Revegetation of the slip face;
- Installation of guardrails.
