Tamworth's Country Road roundabout costs council an extra $2.4m

Building the new five-leg, dual lane Country Road roundabout has set Tamworth Regional Council back an extra $2.4 million, on top of what was budgeted.

Mayor Russell Webb said the $9.5 million roundabout, which opened to traffic in October last year, was plagued by problems.

"There was cost escalations in the supply chain, everything went up during the period of construction," he said.

READ ALSO:

"The costs applied to materials like concrete and steel, and other materials we would be using in construction have gone up considerably."

An increase in wet weather also delayed the project by 180 'construction days'.

According to a report presented to councillors, each rain event caused construction teams to carry out additional work to "minimise damage" and maintain a safe passage for traffic.

Excessive rainfall also weakened the natural clay ground, which had to be removed and replaced.

"It's completely out of our control," Cr Webb said.

"But we have to keep building. So we have to absorb those costs."

The budget blowout has been funded from council's Civil Construction Reserve, which has been described as operating significantly 'in the black' during the last 10 years.

But Cr Webb said council was talking to Transport for NSW about how the extra funds could be recouped.

The roundabout is considered a key piece of infrastructure to access the new Global Gateway Park.

A second $5.8 million roundabout and bypass is under construction to connect Jewry Street and Wallamore Road, which will also service traffic heading towards the park.

It is expected to be complete by mid-2023.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: