Alternative road sealing tested
H“If you drive on it on now it will be similar to a well-formed gravel road. But in the coming months the gravel and bitumen will combine to create a smooth surface” – Krishna Shrestha
orsham council staff will closely monitor two rural roads subject to a new form of sealing as they explore alternative ways to get greater longevity and value out of road-construction projects.
Horsham Rural City Council is trialing sections of ‘Otta sealing’ at Plush Hannans Road at Lower Norton and Arnotts Road at Laharum to assess the suitability of the treatment as an alternative to re-sheeting gravel roads.
Council staff and contractor Inroads carried out the work earlier this month.
Council strategic asset manager Krishna Shrestha said both roads were perfect examples of what Otta seals were about and he looked forward to seeing their performance under Wimmera weather and ground conditions.
“If you drive on it on now it will be similar to a well-formed gravel road. But in the coming months the gravel and bitumen will combine to create a smooth surface,” he said.
“Traditional road surfaces are finished with a layer of stone chips that are uniform in size.
“With Otta seals, the top layer is made of a mixture of fine and larger stones, so it binds together to form a seal that actually gives greater protection against water and sunlight.
“The trade-off is that it isn’t as hard-wearing as traditional ‘chip stone’, so it’s unsuitable for roads that carry a constant high level of traffic.”
Mr Shrestha said there were many unsealed roads in the Wimmera that carried fewer than 100 vehicles a day but were regularly in need of re-gravelling and other costly maintenance.
“Now that the Otta seal has been laid, a 40kmh speed limit will apply on Plush Hannans and Arnotts roads for about six weeks while the pavement surface strengthens,” he said.
Mr Shrestha said there would be loose aggregate on the road during the six-week period and asked residents to adhere to the road signs and take care when travelling on the new roads.