It will be be funded by the Drought Communities Program and Edward River Council reserves.
It is one of two projects that has been allocated the final funding available through the Drought Communities Program.
The Booroorban Heavy Vehicle Lay-by Area project will see the construction of a sealed area adjacent to the Cobb Highway to be used by heavy vehicles and other road users to safely stop off the road and use nearby facilities.
It will be designed to be especially useful for drivers of multi-combination vehicles, such as B-Doubles and road trains, as these vehicles cannot use the access road to the rest area adjacent to the Royal Mail Hotel.
General manager Adam McSwain said the project would help to provide economic stimulus to the Booroorban village by creating a facility to encourage trucks and other large vehicles to stop.
‘‘The number of trucks passing through Booroorban is increasing and we want to ensure we have a facility there to allow them to stop off and support the local community.
‘‘Booroorban is a community that is being hit hard by the drought and this project will help to provide local economic stimulus both through its construction and then operation.
‘‘The project had been a specific priority of the former Conargo Shire Council and now Edward River Council. With Booroorban’s location on the Cobb Highway and local facilities it is well located to provide quality facilities for trucks and other large vehicles to stop at.’’
Council officers are already working to progress the project, which must be finished by December 31 under Drought Communities Program guidelines.
‘‘It will see the construction of a lay-by on both sides of the road. This will improve road safety by providing a suitable place for trucks and other vehicles to stop,’’ Mr McSwain said.
There will be no additional facilities such as toilets and food, as these are being provided by the Royal Mail Hotel.
‘‘A truck stop under the formal definition through RMS requires these facilities to be provided as part of the site.’’
Mr McSwain said a Deniliquin based truck stop is still in council’s sights.
‘‘One of the sites that had been recommended to council for a truck stop in Deniliquin was the former Deniliquin Council depot,’’ he said.
Council is undertaking an expression of interest process for this site to understand its potential for future development.
Mr McSwain said the assessment would be completed over the next month, after which there will be further discussion regarding the depot site and other possible sites for the Deniliquin truck stop.
11°C