Work will start on the foundations of Gunnedah's $62 million rail-over-road bridge this week.
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Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson took a site tour on Monday with contractor Daracon and Roads and Maritime Services and was told the project was on track and moving forward.
"To be able to see work progressing quickly is an encouragement for the community," Mr Anderson said on Monday.
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Mr Anderson said Daracon would start to drill holes for piling to form the base of the bridge’s six piers.
“Roads and Maritime Services and its contractor will soon start work boring holes in the ground, installing steel casings and reinforcement before filling up the holes with concrete," Mr Anderson said.
“This work will start today and is expected to take up to three months to complete, weather-permitting."
Mr Anderson said drilling equipment would be delivered to site and temporary piling platforms would be built as part of the first stage.
"It is likely nearby residents will be able to hear piling activities and monitoring for noise and vibration will be carried out throughout the work to ensure they are within acceptable levels," he said.
The work will be done from 7am-6pm on weekdays and 8am-1pm on Saturdays.
Up to 120 people can be expected to be working on the project when the roundabout is being constructed.
“The second road over rail bridge in Gunnedah is designed to significantly improve local traffic efficiency, road safety, and emergency services access, while providing an unrestricted heavy vehicle freight route to meet future transport requirements for Gunnedah and the wider region," Gunnedah Shire Council's infrastructure director Jeremy Bartlett said.
"It was identified in early studies that it was necessary to separate road and rail traffic in Gunnedah to alleviate congestion points."
The project is expected to be completed in mid-2021.