Upgrade to Pacific Highway allowing vehicles to bypass NSW town of Ballina expected to be completed six months early
August 8, 2011
The Ballina Bypass on the Pacific Highway is expected to be open to traffic six months ahead of schedule, allowing truck drivers to skip the NSW town by Christmas.
Page MP Janelle Saffin says the $640 million project, funded by the federal and NSW governments, will reduce traffic through Ballina during the busy holiday season.
The final stage of the project, connecting the Pacific Highway with the Bruxner Highway, will be undertaken next year. In the long term, this bypass will connect with the 17km Tintenbar to Ewingsdale project scheduled to start in early 2012.
“This upgrade will make a massive difference to Ballina and the broader region and will help ease congestion and improve safety,” Page says.
Don Page, who holds the state seat of Ballina, says the bypass will improve safety and reduce noise levels for locals while also cutting travel times for motorists using the Pacific Highway.