This commitment was made as part of Sibelco’s application to the Harden Shire Council to increase the dispatch limit of lime from its site in Galong.

The acceleration lanes will form part of a channelized intersection with secondary left and right turning lanes, which will now provide enough length for loaded haulage vehicles to merge safely in and out of Burley Griffin Way.

Previously, the lack of acceleration lanes made it difficult for trucks to enter the traffic stream, significantly slowing down the traffic flow behind large vehicles.

Prem Chand, Sibelco’s Regional Operations Manager said, “Sibelco is committed to delivering on the promises made. We are pleased to be making improvements to such a major road used by both the Galong and wider communities”. 

“The new acceleration lanes will improve local traffic flow and provide safer driving conditions for both truck drivers, visitors and residents of Galong and surrounding areas,” Mr Chand said.

Sibelco has liaised with the local council and relevant authorities throughout the research and design process since the approval was announced in 2015.

In the coming months, Sibelco will move ahead with finalising authorisation deeds and tendering for the roadworks before commencing construction.

In May this year, Sibelco also announced plans for the installation of a new hydration facility at its Galong mine, which will provide another boost to Galong and surrounding areas.

This new, state-of-the-art technology is more energy efficient than previous models and will reduce road transport in the local area as well as ensure the continued production of high quality products.

Sibelco is currently producing quicklime at Galong and then transporting the product over 350 kilometres to its site in Charbon, New South Wales, to complete the hydration process, before transporting it in trucks back to customers.

John McBride, Chief Operating Officer at Sibelco said, “The new hydration facility will be mutually beneficial for both Sibelco and the Galong area. Completing the hydration process of quicklime at our Galong mine will see the creation of more jobs at the plant and will enable Sibelco to continue to supply high quality products and services to customers and markets”. 

Plans for installation are currently in place and the hydrator is expected to be operational by mid-2018.

For more information on Sibelco, please visit www.sibelco.com.au