Riverland road closures remain as flood repair task looms

The floodwaters may be clearing but motorists travelling through the Riverland could face long delays for a long time, authorities warn.

The Bookpurnong Road, closed due to damage from the Murray River flooding. Picture: Emma Brasier

The road network ravaged by River Murray floodwaters is unlikely to be fully repaired for at least 12 months, former Infrastructure and Transport department chief Rod Hook says.

The extent of the damage would not be fully known until water levels receded sufficiently in another month or two, Mr Hook told the Sunday Mail.

But extensive works to repair roads would take about a year, he said, and two years if bridges and culverts had to be redesigned and rebuilt.

“If you’ve got to come up with something that needs a design, you might be heading towards a couple of years. If it’s just roads that need to be reworked, you’re probably talking a year’s worth,” Mr Hook said.

“They may be able to do a temporary patch and put cars back on roads with some speed restrictions.”

Bookmark Creek on 21st Street in Renmark. Picture: Emma Brasier

The crumbled edges of Bookpurnong Road as it re-emerges from beneath the water. Picture Emma Brasier

Mr Hook stressed he had not inspected the Riverland and Murraylands road network but said fixing any road that had gone underwater was “quite precarious”.

“The water will gradually go down, then you can really know the extent of what you got to do. If it’s something you can do by repacking and resealing, I would anticipate you’ve probably got a good year of work,” he said.

“But if it’s dealing with culverts that have been damaged, sub-base that’s been pulled away, or any bridges that have footings that have been damaged, you could have some quite extensive works that need to be done.”

Mr Hook was the Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Department’s chief executive from 2011 to 2014, when he oversaw a “big build” including the Adelaide Oval redevelopment, Northern Expressway and tram extension projects.

Renmark Paringa Mayor Peter Hunter said a vital road connecting the Riverland towns of Berri and Loxton should be redesigned and rebuilt to withstand floods to the record 1956 levels.

Bookpurnong Roadis a vital link between Berri and Loxton. Picture Emma Brasier

Bookpurnong Rd has been closed since December 1, when floodwaters covered a low-lying 3km section of the road. Debris, mud and sections of ripped up road were exposed as waters receded. A 19km journey between Loxton and Berri now takes 45 minutes each way as drivers are forced to detour.

Mr Hunter said with a regional hospital in Berri and the SES based in the town, it was vital Bookpurnong Rd remained open.

Infrastructure and transport minister Tom Koutsantonis. Picture: Emma Brasier.

Renmark Mayor Peter Hunter. Picture: Emma Brasier

“The regionalisation of the police, the SES and the hospital is fine, except when something like this happens,’’ he said.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis declined to comment but a Transport Department spokesman said “strength testing will occur after the road surface has been cleaned of silt and debris’’.

“The state government will explore options for resilience improvement under commonwealth government provisions for disaster recovery,’’ he said.

“The design of resilience improvements to meet 1956 flows will depend on analysis of the current flood event including improved flood forecasting models that account for changes to the watercourse including changes to levees and bridges.’’