The Clarence Valley’s worst roads revealed
It’s official, Council has released a report on some of the worst sealed roads in the LGA. Did yours make the list?
Grafton
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It’s the debate that happens around dinner tables across the Valley, which is the region’s worst road?
Clarence Valley Council have given some insight into the answer after staff prepared a comprehensive list of roads in a “poor state of repair” which should be considered for reconstruction or rehabilitation in the next decade.
The roads chosen are those that are more frequently used by drivers.
The list also lays out the projected cost of each reconstruction project and was considered as part of a report on changes to Council’s Roads Policy at Thursday’s council meeting.
Councillors resolved to note the priority list and to amend the policy so that council would not “routinely program activities to seal unsealed roads”, and instead follow guidelines set by the Australian Research Roads Board.
When asked whether this meant council would not seal anymore gravel roads, acting general manager Laura Black said the intention of the change was to enable consideration of the network as a whole, not to rule out sealing roads.
Director of Works and Civil Jamie Fleeting added the ARRB guidelines provided a “more considered approach” that would not limit councillors’ opportunity to put forward proposals on the sealing of specific roads.
Road sealing has long been a contentious issue in the Clarence Valley, home to about 1000km of unsealed roads.
In 2020 a decade-long campaign to seal McIntyres Lane came to an end, but debate over whether it should be prioritised over other roads continued until the last.
Councillors also resolved to undertake a re-sheeting program on six roads across the LGA including Firth Heinze Road, Lawrence/Tully Road, Golf Links Road, Glens Creek Road and Marengo Road.