A SPECIALIST crew has arrived at Mount Panorama and are in the throws of putting a new racing surface on the iconic motor sport circuit.
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Over the next few days, 6000 cubic metres of asphaltic concrete (hot mix) will be put down around the 6.213-kilometre layout.
It’s a $2 million job best left to the experts, and is needed as part of the ongoing maintenance of the track. This sort of work comes around roughly every 12 years, and is part of council’s requirements as circuit manager to meet the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile licensing standards.
With funding support from the Australian Government, council is working through a $6 million program of safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades at the circuit.
The resurfacing project is expected to be completed by early December.
Bathurst mayor Gary Rush said the project was a major upgrade for the circuit, and that contractors were making some great progress so far.
“It is a big responsibility for council to maintain such a famous motor racing circuit,” he said.
“We know that whatever upgrades and changes are made here, the eyes of the motor sport world are watching.
“For that reason there is a great deal of preparation and planning that goes into a project like this.
“Dedicated specialists are working through this process step-by-step to ensure the work is completed to the exceptionally high standard required for a world class motor racing track.”
The road resurfacing program consists of four key stages.
They include profiling, in which contractors will remove 35mm of asphalt from the top of the track surface (about one week); crack sealing, where cracks in the surface are repaired and filled (about 4-5 days); rubber sealing, where a sealant is sprayed over the entire surface (4-5 days); and asphalt laying, where the hot mix is laid as the final stage in the resealing project (about two weeks).