Stemming the ‘bitumen bleed’: Night works announced to remedy melting roads in Alice Springs

Roads in the Red Centre capital which have been melting due to ‘bitumen bleed’ are set to be fixed by a series of night works. Find out when.

‘Bitumen bleed’ is being labelled as the reason recently resurfaced Hartley St, Alice Springs, has been having issues. Picture: Gera Kazakov

The government is set to stem the “bitumen bleed” plaguing four roads in the Red Centre capital with a series of night works, which are taking place in a “staged approach”.

On December 8 from 6pm, the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure began conducting night works on Hartley St, Bath St, Parsons St, and Gregory Tce in the Alice Springs CBD.

The works are expected to wrap up at 6am each day, and the department said public transport would not be impacted.

The full schedule for the works are:

• Leichhardt Tce / Gregory Tce roundabout – Sunday, 8 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Gregory Tce between Leichhardt Tce and Todd St – Monday, 9 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Gregory Tce between Todd St and Hartley St – Tuesday, 10 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

Night works begin on December 8, 2024, for Hartley St, Bath St, Parsons St, and Gregory Tce in the Alice Springs CBD.

• Hartley St/ Gregory Tce Roundabout – Wednesday, 11 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Gregory Tce between Hartley St and Bath St – Thursday, 12 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Gregory Tce / Bath St roundabout – Friday, 13 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

Holes in the road on Hartley St. Picture: Gera Kazakov

• Bath St between Gregory Tce and Parsons St – Saturday and Sunday, 14 – 15 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Hartley St between Parsons St and Gregory Tce – Monday and Tuesday, 16-17 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am

• Parsons Street between Bath St and Hartley Street – Wednesday and Thursday, 18-19 December 2024 – 6pm to 6am.

The works come almost two months since issues were first identified with the roads in October.

Gravel on Hartley St, Alice Springs, November, 2024. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Water trucks sprayed the roads and loose gravel was placed to remedy the issue.

At the time, infrastructure and logistics minister Bill Yan said the issue with the roads was “bitumen bleed”.

In the wake of the debacle, Alice Springs Town Council councillor Eli Melky proposed the council seek a “warranty period” for government works in Alice.

On November 28, independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley referred the matter for investigation to the public accounts parliamentary committee.