Wyangala Dam Safety Upgrade
Construction Value: $53 million
Located on the Lachlan River 50km upstream from Cowra, this 1,220,000 mega litre dam was originally completed in 1935 and enlarged in 1971.
The safety upgrade works commenced in 2013 to allow the raising and locking of the radial gates. Scope of works included an alternate road and bridge for the crossing of the Lachlan River, and the fitting of locking devices to the radial gates.
The project was a challenge: the drilling of approximately 500 holes into heavily reinforced high-strength concrete containing granite aggregate all of which was carried out at height – some 20-30 metres above the spillway level. Access was via large boom-lifts only, and ambient temperatures varied from -5 to 45 degrees Celsius.
