A contract has been awarded to deliver the final stage of the 155km Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway upgrade.
Works to complete the Pacific Highway upgrade between Pimlico and Teven are set to ramp up, with a contract to build the section awarded to the Georgiou Group.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, said the final stage of the works would lock in a significant section of four-lane divided highway with a consistent 110km/h speed limit.
“This is an important step forward in improving safety through the northern section of the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade, and another step closer to delivering a safer Pacific Highway. This is Australia’s largest regional infrastructure project, with about 1,000 people currently working on this section,” Mr Chester said.
Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said the community would see activity ramp up between Pimlico and Teven in coming weeks as major work starts on the next stage.
“This section will link the Ballina bypass to the north and the Coolgardie to Richmond River section of the upgrade to the south. Work includes replacing two Pacific Highway bridges over Duck and Emigrant Creeks, and upgrading about 1.8km of the highway’s southbound lanes from 300m south of Pimlico Road to 700m south of the Teven interchange,” Mr Hogan said.
New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey, said soft soil work was being carried out to ensure the road surface won’t sink and crack in the future and Pimlico Road would be moved slightly to the east to create a new permanent intersection with the Pacific Highway.
“The $4.36 billion Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade is a great example of how the New South Wales and Federal Governments can work together to improve the road network for all users. At a State and Federal level, we’re committed to ensuring regional motorists have the same access to quality roads as those in the cities,” Mrs Pavey said.
Work is being carried out on 104km of the overall Woolgoolga to Ballina section, with the remaining 51km expected to start by mid-2017. The Australian and New South Wales government-funded project is expected to open to traffic by 2020, weather permitting.
