Initial works will not affect

Wyangala wall road access

WORK set to begin this month to raise the chute wall at Wyangala Dam will not affect access to the road atop the dam wall, says State Water’s projects manager, Michael Jeffery.

The $1.5 million chute-raising project is one of three phases of the $25 million

Wyangala Dam safety upgrade, only the last of which – erecting a parapet wall in 2011 – will require the closure of the road on the dam wall.

Meanwhile, a working party has been established to co-ordinate the identification of an alternative route for Wyangala village residents once public traffic access to the dam wall road is restricted.

The working party – comprising Cowra and Boorowa Shire Councils and State Water – met for the first time last week.

February to review an engineer’s draft report on proposed alternative routes.

Reed Constructions has been awarded the contract to undertake the chute-raising work, which will be followed by work to raise the dam’s radial gates from mid-2010.

Mr Jeffery says the final phase of the upgrade will involve construction of a parapet wall in 2011, but no move to restrict dam wall traffic will occur before a suitable alternative route is established.

“It is important that the community is aware that work on the first two phases of the project will not require the dam road to close to public traffic, and that we will make good on our commitment to establish a suitable alternative route before any such traffic restrictions are necessary,” he says.