Twin bridges over Emigrant Creek (Nov 2015)
Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade Project update - December 2015 The Australian and NSW Governments are jointly funding the $862 million Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade. This community update outlines the traffic staging as we open the project over the next three months. Overview
Traffic staging
The $862 million Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade will provide about 17 kilometres of dual carriageway, starting at the northern end of the Ballina bypass at Ross Lane, extending to the Ewingsdale interchange.
The traffic arrangements on opening include:
A major feature of the project is the St Helena twin tunnels. The tunnels are about 434m long, 19m wide each and about 46m below St Helena Road. Benefits of the upgrade include a better highway alignment, improved road safety, uninterrupted highway traffic flow and easy access on and off the highway for local traffic.
What’s happening Most of the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade will be opened to traffic before Christmas. Traffic will be switched on to the new highway in stages before Christmas through to Easter 2016 at a temporary speed limit of 100km/h. This allows for the final Ross Lane and Ewingsdale interchanges access ramps, tie-in work and finishing work to be completed.
• Opening the St Helena twin tunnels at temporary 80km/h speed limit • Opening to dual lanes southbound and northbound, south of the twin tunnels to temporary 100km/h speed limit • Diverting traffic in a contra flow arrangement (one lane in each direction) at Ewingsdale to allow tie-in work • Diverting traffic at Bangalow exit to access Byron Bay. No dedicated exit to Byron Bay at this time • Detouring traffic along Alcorn Road and existing Pacific Highway (Hinterland Way) to access Newrybar and Macadamia Castle • Provision to open Woodford Lane to the Pacific Highway for access to Byron Bay during peak traffic times. Throughout early 2016, further traffic changes will take place as finishing work is completed. The ultimate speed limit will be 110km/h from Teven interchange through to Ewingsdale interchange. A map overleaf details these traffic stages.
Traffic staging
St Helena Tunnels
New Pacific Highway (under construction)
Bangalow
Ewingsdale Road
St Helena Tunnels
Bangalow Road
Bangalow
Bangalow Road
Ross Lane not to scale
Ballina
Ewingsdale Road
St Helena Tunnels Hinterland Way
Bangalow Road
Pacific Highway
Bangalow
Bangalow Road
60km/hr 100km/hr
100km/hr
Alcorn Road
Bangalow
Ross Lane not to scale
Ballina
Ross Lane
Ross Lane not to scale
Ballina
100km/hr
100km/hr
100km/hr
Myocum Road
St Helena Tunnels
100km/hr
Bangalow
One lane southbound only and two lanes northbound
Ballina
Ewingsdale Road
Hinterland Way
Existing Pacific Highway
not to scale
Myocum Road
Woodford Lane
Pacific Highway
Bangalow Road
Ross Lane
Woodford Lane
Existing Pacific Highway
Existing Pacific Highway
80km/hr
Existing Pacific Highway
Myocum Road
Tweed Heads
not to scale
Ballina
110km/hr to Teven Interchange
Byron Bay via Ewingsdale Road
Myocum Road
Easter 2016
110km/hr to Teven Interchange
Ewingsdale Road
Myocum Road
Woodford Lane (will be opened to Byron Bay traffic during peak periods only)
Tweed Heads
• New upgrade complete • Ultimate speed limit of 110km/h from Teven interchange through to Ewingsdale interchange.
60km/hr
Woodford Lane (will be opened to Byron Bay traffic during peak periods only)
Woodford Lane 60km/hr
Temporary access to Byron Bay
60km/hr
Construction
Tweed Heads
80km/hr
Through traffic path
Tweed Heads
Easter 2016
• About 16 kilometres of upgraded dual lanes opens to traffic • Speed limit is increased to 110km/h south of Ewingsdale interchange New Byron First• Quarter 2016 Bay exit ramps opens.
100km/hr
Tweed Heads
100km/hr
LEGEND
First Quarter 2016
• About 15 kilometres of upgraded dual lanes opens to traffic • Ross Lane interchange tie-in work complete Work continues at Ewingsdale Early• 2016 interchange.
• About 14 kilometres of upgraded dual lanes to open to traffic • Temporary 100km/ speed limit for new on highway and temporary Arrangements opening 80km/h through the twin tunnels • Work continues at the Ross Lane and Ewingsdale interchanges tie-in.
100km/hr
Current traffic arrangements
Early 2016
60km/hr
• Reduced 80km/h speed limit in place • Building work continuing towards opening.
Opening arrangements in December 2015
80km/hr
Current traffic arrangements
Looking north over the twin St Helena tunnels
Traffic control Queued traffic and delays are expected over the Christmas holiday period. Variable message signs, reduced speed limits and traffic control will be in place to guide road users and the community through the new upgrade. For your safety, please follow all signs and directions given by traffic controllers. We appreciate your patience over this time. For traffic updates over the Christmas break, please see Live Traffic at www.livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
Contact us If you have any questions, comments or complaints about the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade please contact the community relations team on:
1800 882 787 (24 hours/7 days)
[email protected]
www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects
Thank you The project team would like to thank the community for your patience and support during the building of the project.
Privacy Roads and Maritime Services (“RMS”) is subject to the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (“PPIP Act”) which requires that we comply with the Information Privacy Principles set out in the PPIP Act. All information in correspondence is collected for the sole purpose of assisting in the assessment of this proposal/ delivering this project. The information received, including names and addresses of respondents, may be published in subsequent documents unless a clear indication is given in the correspondence that all or part of that information is not to be published. Otherwise RMS will only disclose your personal information, without your consent, if authorised by the law. Your personal information will be held by RMS at 76 Victoria St, Grafton NSW. You have the right to access and correct the information if you believe that it is incorrect.
December 2015 RMS 15.618