Floodwater at Testers Hollow has exceeded the height of the new road that is under construction, raising concerns in the community that the new road may not be 'flood-free' after all.
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But Transport for NSW says the project will "substantially improve resilience" on the flood-prone Cessnock Road, with 275mm of asphalt still to be added to the top.
Last week's deluge resulted in the closure of Testers Hollow for the sixth time since 2007, and the second time since work to raise the road got under way in November 2020.
The wet weather has impacted the upgrade, with assessments to be undertaken after the floodwater recedes, but the work is still expected to be completed by early 2023 (weather permitting).
"The new section of Cessnock Road is being built about 1.5 metres higher than the existing road to improve flood immunity," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
"Construction of the new road alignment has not been completed and approximately 275mm of asphalt will be placed on the current earthworks embankment before it is opened to traffic.
"When completed, the project will substantially improve resilience against flooding along Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow from a 1 in 2 year flood event to up to 1 in 20 year flood event.
"The upgrade is a complex job which involves building a new two-lane road with two-metre wide shoulders, as well as installing new drainage to allow flood water to pass freely under the new road."
The federal government is providing $15 million for the new road (a 2016 election promise), with the state chipping in $2 million.
Federal Member for Paterson, Meryl Swanson has called out the state government for the project's scope and delay, saying it "should have been completed years ago".
"The state government of NSW need to listen to residents here at Gillieston Heights, Cliftleigh, Heddon Greta, all the way through from Cessnock to Maitland along this road, because the new solution is clearly not up to standard," she said.
"The fact is the $15 million I secured for this project didn't need to be the limit of the project scope, but Transport for NSW allowed it to be precisely that.
"The state government can't ignore this community and must commit to a permanent solution."
Ms Swanson said she has meetings planned with federal ministers to discuss long-term solutions for Testers Hollow.
Cessnock mayor Jay Suvaal said he is preparing a mayoral minute for next week's council meeting, which will ask the state government to reconsider the height of the new road.
Cessnock state MP Clayton Barr said he understood the community's concerns, but that people should bear in mind that plans are in place to build another access road along the ridgeline as part of the Hydro redevelopment.
"People want an immediate solution and I understand that, but the solution will eventually come through private development," he said.
"Until then, fingers crossed the current project does its job when it's completed."
With the Maitland end of Cessnock Road also under water, the latest flood has left the town of Gillieston Heights isolated once again - as it was after the April 2015 super storm.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison has called for better infrastructure to mitigate floods, including improved maintenance of the levee bank (read Madeline Link's report here).