A LANDSLIP at Devil's Nook near Bellbrook has now forced the closure of the Kempsey to Armidale Rd.
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Steady rain over many days has led to Macleay River level fluctuations and ultimately a slow fall in river height.
Kempsey Shire Council staff have inspected an existing slip site on Armidale Rd that has begun producing rock as a result of the rain.
As a result the road has had to be closed.
KEY UPDATES
- Armidale/Kempsey Rd will remain closed until at least Tuesday morning when engineers will attend
- Temagog Bridge is now open
- All roads and bridges are now open except for Dungay Creek causeway.
The situation as of late this afternoon for the Armidale Rd:
- The slip started producing rock of various sizes, some large, that were able to cross the road
- Due to the risk presented to the public, the road was closed at approximately 2pm
- Staff working on a solution were unable to access the site due to the dangerous nature of the ongoing rock being produced
- The slip site has produced enough rock to now cover the entire road
- The site continues to be unstable and is still producing rock
- Geotechnical engineers will be on site from 8am Tuesday to inspect the rock face and assist in preparing a plan to allow safe access for traffic
- The road will remain closed until a solution is developed.
Other bridges upstream of Kempsey may be subject to flooding, depending on the river peak however floodwaters are expected to recede during the course of the day.
Roads in low lying areas or adjacent to the Macleay River and its tributaries may be impacted by flooding, proceed with caution.
FLOODGATES
As the river reached the level required to proceed with the flood structures closure, the Belmore and Kinchela flood structures are now closed.
The river levels will be closely monitored over the week to determine the best time to re-open them and the community will be notified of any anticipated changes in flood structure status. This decision will be made in light of further rain forecasted throughout the middle part of this week and overall water quality.
RIVER LEVELS AND TRENDS
At 9.16am, the Macleay River at Turners Flat was reading 3.08m and is currently steady.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Residents and visitors are urged to remain cautious on the roads for localised impacts and not attempt to drive through floodwaters or cross flooded bridges.
Council work teams are inspecting roads and any areas of concern will be advised in future updates. Council welcomes advice from residents in outlying areas regarding any concerns which may be reported to council on 6566-3200
For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132-500. In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.
