Australian construction materials company Boral has announced it is engaging on a massive flexible pavement project at NSW’s Coffs Harbour bypass that will see it supply, deliver and lay 280 kilotonnes of asphalt on the $2.2 billion infrastructure project.
Boral says initial activity has commenced, with Boral set to start the majority of asphalt work throughout the middle of this year.
The project will use flexible pavement, which uses multiple layers of material to allow for traffic load to be distributed among it and ‘bend’ the asphalt, increasing durability.
The Coffs Harbour bypass is funded jointly by the federal and NSW governments, with it set to boost the regional economy and improve connectivity, road efficiency and safety for motorists on the road.
The project includes building three tunnels, 12 kilometres of new road and around two kilometres of upgraded highway when it opens to traffic in late 2026.
The package of work will be resourced by the local Boral team, with support from surrounding resources in the region. To date, initial planning activity has been undertaken by Boral.
“We are pleased to be involved in the delivery of the Coffs Harbour bypass, a significant infrastructure project that will better connect our major cities and ease congestion in the area,” Boral asphalt executive general manager Tim Richards says.
“At Boral, we are committed to supporting regional growth and creating more employment opportunities for local residents.
“We have a proven track-record in delivering large-scale projects and being an innovative company; the flexible pavement design with EME asphalt mix being just one example. We are excited to be working with Transport for NSW and are proud to deliver one of the largest flexible pavement projects in the state.”
While NSW roads traditionally use rigid concrete, Boral’s flexible pavement will use Australian-developed EME asphalt that was first pioneered by Boral nearly a decade ago.
With five-to-10 times the lifespan of using regular asphalt, the flexible pavement enables a thinner layer of the ultra-hard, high-flexing-resistant asphalt to be used, making it more sustainable.
The bypass is a joint venture between Gamuda Australia and Ferrovial.