Friday, 26 June 2020

The opening of the new section of the Pacific Highway between Glenugie and Tyndale is already delivering safer and smoother journeys – so now it’s time to improve the old highway, renamed Big River Way.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the NSW Government will invest up to $20 million over three years to upgrade Big River Way - a key route for traffic travelling to Grafton, the New England region and along Summerland Way.

“Locals are already enjoying better journeys on Big River Way as a result of traffic moving onto the new Pacific Highway, but we understand that it will continue to be a key road for the community, which is why we want their feedback to help shape safety improvements,” Mr Toole said.

“We are so close to the finish line of the Pacific Highway upgrade – a multi-generational project transforming journeys along the North Coast, which has already created more than 3000 jobs during the peak of the Woolgoolga to Ballina project alone and injected millions into local economies.

“In May, we opened a 36-kilometre section of the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade between Glenugie and Tyndale and now we’re upgrading Big River Way, which shows just how serious we are about investment in the region.”

Member for Clarence and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Roads and Infrastructure Chris Gulaptis said the Big River Way upgrade formed part of the Safer Asset Strategy, which was designed to improve road safety and reduce the incidence of crashes.

“Planned work includes installing a wide centre line at various locations, providing new or extended safety barriers in medians and along the roadside, and improving pedestrian safety at the recently bypassed town of Ulmarra,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“It’s important that we hear from the local community before we make any decisions, because we want to deliver the best possible outcome for our region.”