Photo: DD
From Regional Roads Victoria:
Update – March 2022
Works will commence in March 2022 to recover Main Road through the Walhalla township.
To recover the road, we must first repair the damaged Stringers Creek retaining wall.
The June 2021 storm caused significant flooding in Stringers Creek. Floodwater forced its way behind the ageing retaining walls, eroding the soil and undermining the surface above, causing the road to collapse in four locations. Based on investigations by geotechnical engineers and consultation with community representatives, we have identified a solution to repair the retaining wall and recover Main Road.
What will be constructed?
Through its maintenance alliance with road construction company Fulton Hogan, RRV will construct a soldier pile retaining wall to recover the impacted sections of Main Road.
Steel columns known as ‘soldiers’ will be installed into the rock, extending below the riverbed. Horizontal concrete shutters will then be installed between each soldier to create a strong and durable wall.
What will it look like?
The positioning and size of the retaining wall will be the same as the wall prior to the flood damage, so as not to impact the existing hydrology of Stringers Creek.
To respect the heritage value of the township, a concrete shutter with a timber-look façade will be installed. The timber-look concrete shutter will be durable and resilient while maintaining the heritage look and feel of Walhalla.
The shutters will be carefully installed to ensure the pattern is varied in order to best replicate the appearance of the ageing timber it is replacing.
Community consultation
We understand it’s important the retaining wall repairs match the local heritage and aesthetic values of Walhalla. This is why we worked with the Walhalla Community Recovery Committee to ensure we maintained the desired aesthetic and honoured the heritage significance of the town, whilst ensuring the retaining wall meets safety standards.
We met with the Walhalla Community Recovery Committee in December 2021 to seek their feedback on the proposed retaining wall repairs. We value the input of the committee and appreciate their assistance in ensuring our work will meet the Walhalla community’s needs and values.
Benefits
The soldier pile retaining wall will provide a strong and durable wall to support the road above and the flows of the creek.
Benefits include:
- A wall durable and resilient to changes in creek levels and velocity during severe weather events
- Water less likely to get behind the retaining wall and erode the subsurface below the road
- quiet construction process due to no need to ‘drive’ the retaining wall columns into the ground
- The construction technique allows the repair works to be completed from the side of the road limiting lane closures and traffic disruptions during construction.
Construction timeframes
Works will commence in March 2022 and are expected to take approximately two months to complete. Works will cease during the Easter period.