- Contract awarded on Pimlico and Teven section to deliver final stage of 155-kilometre Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway upgrade
- The works will deliver a safer, four-lane divided highway with a consistent 110 km/h speed limit between the Ballina bypass and the Coolgardie to Richmond River section
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 today.
Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the final stage of the works would lock in a significant section of four-lane divided highway with a consistent 110 km/h speed limit.
“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 1.8 kilometres of the highway’s southbound lanes from 300 metres south of Pimlico Road to 700 metres south of the Teven interchange,” he said.
“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 Hogan said the community would see activity ramp up between Pimlico and Teven in coming weeks as major work starts on the next stage.
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 104 kilometres of the overall Woolgoolga to Ballina section, with the remaining 51 kilometres 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.
