MEDIA RELEASE
9 NOVEMBER 2009
PACIFIC HIGHWAY ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC
IMPROVEMENTS
The RTA will start work
this month
to improve safety at three locations along the Pacific
Highway.
An RTA spokesperson
said about $8.5 million will be spent during the 2009/10
and
2010/11 financial years on projects at Broadwater Tip corner, around Goulds Lane and
the Clybucca Roadhouse, and Shark Creek.
“These locations, on the existing two-lane highway, have been identified as having poor
crash histories and poor alignment,” the spokesperson said.
This work is part of the State
and Federal
governments’ $3.6 billion commitment
over
five years to mid 2014 to continue upgrading the Pacific Highway, as part of the Nation
Building Program and the Building Australia Fund.
“While most of this funding will be directed to upgrading the highway to dual carriageway,
there is a need to address road safety and traffic issues on sections of two-lane highway
that are not scheduled to be upgraded to dual carriageway in the next five years.
“In
the five year period, a range of minor projects will be built
to improve sections of
existing two lane highway and intersections with poor crash history,”
the spokesperson
said.
The three projects that will start soon are:
Improving the highway at the Broadwater Tip corner which is about one kilometre
south of Broadwater. This work will smooth the bend
and extend an existing
overtaking lane.
Improvements to existing accesses in and around Goulds Lane and the Clybucca
Roadhouse, north of Kempsey. The work
will focus on improvements for turning
vehicles and allowance for heavy vehicles to more easily re-enter the highway.
Rebuilding an 850 metre section of highway at Shark Creek by widening the road
and shoulders and softening the bend. This is the final stage of work that has been
done to improve the safety of the road between Byrons Lane and Shark Creek.
Work is expected to start on the first of the projects, the Broadwater Tip corner, in early
November 2009.
Other projects are in the early stage of development, and more information will be
provided closer to the time. These projects are:
Intersection improvements at Martells Road to the south of Urunga.
Curve realignment at Blackadder Creek near Corindi.
Improved access at Swan Creek just north of Grafton.
Improved flood immunity just to the south of the Harwood Bridge near Maclean.
CONTACT:
RTA Media Unit 8588 5999
NEWS 
