Port Stephens Council has defended its decision to close Gan Gan Road less than a week after it was reopened following $770,000 worth of upgrades, saying it is due to safety concerns.
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The council took to its Facebook page on Friday in response to negative comments about the closure, saying the wet weather prior to the sealing and reopening of Gan Gan Road last Saturday had a "negative impact on the newly installed pavement material".
"Once the road was opened we saw a number of unexpected pavement failures making it unsafe to drive on," the council stated.
"The pavement failures aren't a result of the way we've constructed the road or the sealing of the road. It's been caused by the significant and unexpected infiltration of groundwater from beneath the road, made worse by the heavy rain.
"We've had to urgently close the road to undertake repairs. Weather permitting, the closure will allow us to stop the groundwater entering, correct the pavement and reopen the road to use as soon as possible.
"We understand the frustration this has caused everyone, particularly during holiday season and we ask that all road users be patient and comply with the detour road rules."
Tanilba Bay resident Bill Doran, who ran for one of the three central ward councillor positions in the 2021 council election, said it came as no surprise to him that this had happened.
"We pay top dollar for engineers and staff only to have the same issues plague our infrastructure projects," he said.
Other comments posted in the comment section of the council's Facebook post advising of the closure ranged from "typical bloody council" to "a bit of rain and it's stuffed" to "and they want to put our rates up 30 percent".
The major thoroughfare between Frost and Nelson Bay roads was closed again on Thursday, April 20.
It had been closed for a number of weeks prior to its brief reopening on Saturday, April 15 for upgrades to the Nelson Bay Road intersection and an 800 metre section of the road.
The works, funded under the Australian Government's Black Spot program, included the rehabilitation of the existing road pavement, road realignment, widening of lane widths and tree clearing, installation of roadside barriers and 'audible tactile line marking'.
The council said it was now working on fixing the damaged pavement, but no timeframe on when Gan Gan Road will reopen has been provided.
"We'll continue to provide updates on how long it's expected to take," the council said.
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Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
