An independent assessment into the cause of cracked tiles in the Cessnock CBD upgrade project will be conducted before repair work gets under way in the next financial year.
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The upgrade works at the intersection of Cooper and Charlton Street included a paved 'shared zone', where more than 100 tiles had cracked within 18 months of installation.
A report on the construction and condition of the intersection was brought to council's May 18 meeting, following a notice of motion by councillor Ian Olsen in February.
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The report stated that 'probable' causes for the failure of the works include the speed and angle at which vehicles hit the pavers, the large size of the pavers and their susceptibility to cracking, and the composition of the bedding material that the pavers are laid on.
It also revealed that while there is pipe work under the road, it has not been found to have caused the issue.
Council will now arrange an independent assessment to investigate the issue (including a review of council records on the matter), determine its root cause and make recommendations on how it can be rectified.
While council has included $100,000 in its draft 2022/2023 operational plan to fund repairs to the intersection, the exact scope, cost and timeframe for the repairs will not be known until the independent investigation is complete.
Meanwhile, repairs will continue to be undertaken to ensure the road surface is safe and remains open to traffic.
Cr Olsen said that the intersection has "failed miserably" and called for the assessment to be done without delay.
He also called for the "dot" (the off-centre roundabout) to be moved into the middle of the intersection.
"It's crazy at the moment, people are just going over the top of it. It's the biggest laugh," he said.
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