Engineering a new Jamberoo Mountain Road
Published on 26 July 2023
Kiama Council reopened Jamberoo Mountain Road to the public this month, a year after it was severely damaged by a major storm and resulting landslides.
We spoke to Council’s Civil Engineer Nathan Zaremski, who has spent a good part of his first 15 months at Kiama Council project-managing the Jamberoo Mountain Road reconstruction work. The work is part of our $4.8 million Road Repairs Construction Program for local roads damaged by the storm.
Tell us about the scale of this project?
Jamberoo Mountain Road is the biggest project I’ve worked on in my career, in terms of scale (if not necessarily price). The scale of the construction work was major, although most of it is underground, so no one can actually see it.
What have been some challenges?
Due to the complexity and scale of the project, it took longer than anyone would have liked. Some of the additional issues we ran into along the way were frustrating, but unfortunately, that’s what happens when you dig holes in a challenging geotechnical environment such as Jamberoo Mountain.
What have you enjoyed?
It’s been great to see the road re-open and getting a positive response from the community. It was a huge relief to finally complete the job.
I really enjoyed attending the “Thank-You Jamberoo” barbeque and chatting to local residents including nuns from The Abbey (see story XX).
Any unexpected wins?
I enjoyed doing site visits during the construction phase. It’s such a nice spot and it was unexpectedly peaceful up there with no traffic. I enjoyed the rare opportunity to walk along the road while it was closed.
Because Council project-managed the construction, we were also able to use our on-the-ground knowledge to include some additional improvements that might not otherwise have been done – drainage and pavements. I’m really happy with what we achieved.
So what’s next?
We’re still completing road repair work on Foxground Road, Wallaby Hill Road, Gipps Street and Cliff Drive.
Beyond that, I enjoy the variety of jobs I get to work on at Kiama Council. Because we’re a relatively small team, it means I’m not locked in to one type of civil engineering. Every day brings new opportunities.
Watch Kiama Council’s short video on the Jamberoo Mountain Road repairs: Jamberoo-Road-reopens