Binns Road improvement works
December 20, 2018
An upgrade of a 2 kilometre section of Binns Road will begin after Colac Otway Shire Council unanimously voted to award a contract for the road improvement works at the December Ordinary Council meeting.
The contract for the improvement work included widening and sealing 2 kilometres of Binns Road at Beech Forest.
Council was successful in obtaining a grant of $471,504 through the State Government’s Fixing Country Roads Program to widen and seal 1.5 kilometres of the road with a further $180,000 contribution from Council’s Strategic Roads Program to widen and seal an additional 0.5 kilometres.
Mayor Jason Schram said Binns Road was used by locals, visitors and logging operators with works to improve safety for all road users.
“Locals use the road to go from Beech Forest to Apollo Bay and also take their kids to school,” Cr Schram said.
“In addition to local traffic, it’s becoming a busy tourist route with visitors headed to the waterfalls and Californian Redwoods as well as using Binns Road to access the Great Ocean Road.
“These works are absolutely necessary when you combine local and tourist traffic with heavy vehicles from logging operators using the area.
“As this area of the Otways is a high risk bushfire environment, improving the road condition will also provide better access to emergency services,” he said.
The tender included works for the widening and sealing of Binns Road; the project will widen the road from current unsealed pavement to a 6 metre pavement width, widen all culverts and provide driveable end walls. A guardrail at two locations will also be installed.
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