Road repairs on track despite funding woes

THE State Government has rejected an application for $100,000 in emergency funding to repair Tweed Road in Bridgetown.

In a statement released on Friday, Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire Council chief executive officer Tim Clynch said the news was disappointing but the road should reopen in about two weeks.

With the repair bill estimated at more than $100,000, the council had requested $100,000 under the State Initiatives Fund to help cover costs.

Warren Blackwood MLA Terry Redman threw his support behind the application.

However, Transport Minister Bill Marmion said Tweed Road’s traffic volumes, safety and freight movements did not meet the eligibility criteria for a special grant.

“We were encouraged to apply for it by Main Roads, because they might view it accordingly, but in this case they haven’t done so,” shire president John Nicholas said.

“It’s very disappointing because we’ve now got to find that out of current funds, which means adjustments to the budget.” Work continued on Monday to repair the road, which failed “catastrophically” about 3.4km from South Western Highway in late September.

The major cause was subsoil groundwater movement following a wet winter, with continuing rains delaying repairs.

These have involved excavating thousands of cubic metres of soil down to about 6m below the original surface and rebuilding the road base with better drainage.

“The inconvenience it has caused is understood, we will try to restore it ASAP,” Cr Nicholas said.