Jerona Road Causeway Repairs and Replacement Update
Burdekin Shire Council update for Jerona residents and visitors
Burdekin Shire Council would like to inform the community that the causeway on Jerona Road, which was damaged by a flood event in January 2023, has been temporarily repaired and is pending load testing scheduled for Friday afternoon (8 March) before the causeway can be re-opened.
The causeway on Jerona Road was extensively damaged in a flood event that occurred in January 2023 and has been closed by Council on a number of occasions over the past 12 months to undertake temporary repairs pending the construction of a new crossing.
Burdekin Shire Council Chief Executive Officer Terry Brennan said the location of the culvert in a tidal creek meant that Council had to obtain approval from State Environmental Departments before carrying out any works. Council also had to obtain funding approval under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for its replacement.
“The process of obtaining the required approvals from the State for the culvert to be replaced with a new structure took longer than anticipated, however, the necessary approvals have now been received,” Mr Brennan said.
“Following receipt of funding approval from the Qld Reconstruction Authority (QRA) under DRFA, the project will be open for tenders until Tuesday 19 March 2024. Council hopes to award the contract and commence the construction at the end of the wet season.
“In light of February 2024 weather events, Council closed the causeway due to damage caused by a further flooding event. Council officers were unable to inspect and assess the extent of the damage until water levels had receded sufficiently, which took several days. Repair works were undertaken to the causeway on Monday morning, when tides were favourable, which involved the placement of large ballast rocks and high-strength cement to repair and reestablish the damaged approach on the Jerona side. If the road was simply reinstated with gravel instead of concrete there would be a very high risk that further damage may occur in another flooding event resulting in the causeway being completely washed away and residents isolated until a new causeway could be built.
“To provide the desired structural integrity the repairs needed sufficient time for the concrete to reach the required strength. It is anticipated that the concrete will have cured sufficiently by Friday 8 March to allow the crossing to be reopened late Friday afternoon. Load testing will be conducted on Friday prior to reopening the causeway.
“Whilst the road has been closed, Council has taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake grading and pavement repairs both to the shoulders and to potholes on the section of Jerona Road on the highway side of the causeway to limit disturbances once the road is reopened.”
The Jerona Causeway has been temporarily repaired and is pending load testing on Friday before the causeway can be re-opened. Council apologises for any inconvenience caused by the closure and thanks the community for their patience and understanding.