A SOD turning ceremony of the Karuah to Bulahdelah Sections 2 and 3 Upgrade of the Pacific Highway was held on March 15 at the site compound, three kilometres south of Bulahdelah.
Federal Member for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, NSW Minister for Roads, Eric Roozendaal and RTA General Manager, Bob Higgins were in attendance to officiate the sod-turning ceremony, formalising the commencement of roadworks by Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd.
This upgrade is costing $262 million and when finished, will provide to travellers a further 23 kilometres of new dual carriageway. The two governments have allocated $1.3 billion to the task to mid-2009. This brings the total of funds committed to the Pacific Highway Upgrade between 1996 and 2009 to $3.6 billion.
Stage 1 of the Karuah to Bulahdelah upgrade involved an eleven kilometre duplication which was opened in December 2006. The completed Pacific Highway Upgrade will mean 664 kilometres of continuous dual carriageway from the F3 Freeway near Hexham to the Tugun Bypass on the Queensland border.
Abigroup will be responsible for maintaining the work for 10 years beyond the completion date of the upgrade, estimated to be late 2009.
Features of the Karuah–Bulahdelah Stages 2 and 3 project include:
* 23km of new dual carriageway
* seven sets of small twin bridges
* improved intersection to Nerong
* new rest areas for light and heavy vehicles, one in each direction
* environmental management and community consultation
Two dedicated fauna underpasses along with 8.7km of fauna fencing will be constructed as part of the project to link sections of the Myall Lakes National Park on either side of the highway. Mr Baldwin said a northbound rest area is to be provided utilising a bypassed section of the old highway at Nerong Waterholes.
"An existing southbound rest area at Browns Flat is in the path of the new southbound carriageway and it is proposed that it will be replaced by construction of a new rest area nearby," he added.
Labor Candidate for Port Stephens, Jim Arneman, welcomed the official start of work on the Stage 2 and 3 Karuah to Bulahdelah Pacific Highway upgrade.
"The NSW Government is working hard to provide new and improved services for the working families of NSW. This project is part of the continuing Pacific Highway upgrade - delivering safer roads and cutting travel time," Mr Arneman said.
Mr Baldwin said that whilst the upgrade of the Pacific Highway will deliver a safer road for travellers, he versed his concern about the safety of Tea Gardens- Hawks Nest residents by once again raising the issue of the Myall Way flyover.
Mr Baldwin has been pressuring the NSW Roads Minister to begin construction of the flyover at the Pacific Highway turnoff to Tea Gardens.
"Residents shouldn't have to battle semi-trailers, coaches and cars travelling at high speeds just to get to and from home," he said.
Mr Baldwin reported that residents are sick and tired of the NSW Government's failure to listen to local concerns.
"With days out from the State Election, now is the time for Mr Roozendaal to commit to a flyover at the Myall Way," he said.
"The Federal Government is willing to support the Myall Way flyover, so why can't the NSW State Government?
"The cost of a flyover today will be far cheaper than doing this project 15 years down the track," Mr Baldwin added.
Liberal Candidate for Port Stephens, Craig Baumann was also present at last week's ceremony and joined Mr Baldwin in criticising the NSW State Government and its Roads Minister for their inaction on a flyover for the Myall Way intersection.
"We have committed ourselves to building the flyover if we are successful in the forthcoming election on March 24," Mr Baumann said.
Email a friend