More bad news on the repair work to Oakhampton Road, with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment flagging a late September date for a possible reopening.
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The department is waiting on the arrival of a specialised fibreglass internal pipe liner to finalise the $1.94million repair of the penstock tower flood pipe.
A penstock is a gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems.
The internal liner from Germany was selected due to its strength and durability.
Once installed the liner will essentially create a new flood pipe restoring the integrity of the 280 metre pipe.
Repairing the pipe involves relining it with a fibreglass liner that will restore the integrity of the pipe which is a critical component of the Oakhampton floodway that diverts flood waters around the Maitland CBD in major flooding.
The relining work will restore the pipe for decades to come.
"We expect the liner to be on-site around mid-August, with work taking up to six weeks after that," a spokesperson for the department said.
Oakhampton Road has been closed since late March after an extreme weather event caused major damage in the form of a sinkhole.
The Mercury reported on May 13 how the storm caused damage to the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme drainage infrastructure located about 250 metres north of Scobies Lane - the road leading to historic Walka Water Works.
Oakhampton Road is a key artery linking Maitland's Central Business District with residential estate McKeachies Run.
The works at Oakhampton are being carried out by the NSW Soil Conservation Service on behalf of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, as part of the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme.
The road will remain closed to traffic until further notice, and will only be reopened once it is deemed safe for road users. Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme officers will be managing completion of the works.
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