Bangalow’s Byron Creek Bridge and Bangalow Road are set for a major overhaul and renewal with works for more than $5 million of bridge and road works set to start after Easter.
Council received $700k from the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal program for the upgrade of Byron Creek Bridge, located on Bangalow Road just east of the Pacific Highway, which will include a new 45m span, two-lane concrete bridge with wide shoulders and provision for a future shared path, to improve access and safety.
Council has awarded the ‘design and construct’ tender for the bridge works and the design phase is now underway, with construction works starting after Easter.
An adjacent eight kilometre stretch of Bangalow Road will also be treated with safety improvements, from the Pacific Highway to Broken Head Road, thanks to a $1.9 million grant Council has received under the Transport for NSW Safer Roads Program.
The safety improvement works include signage, line marking, guardrails and shoulder widening at key locations where there has been a history of crashes.
The $1.2 million Bangalow Road upgrade directly east of the bridge will take place immediately after the bridge construction. This section of road is currently in very poor condition but carries more than 4,500 vehicles per day.
“This has been a funding trifecta win for Council with an additional 1km of desperately needed road renewal adjoining the Byron Creek Bridge to the east up to Tinderbox Road, made possible thanks to $1.2 million from the recent $25 million Byron Shire Tourism Impacts Infrastructure announced by the NSW Government,” Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway said.
“The outcome will be a wider, safer, brand-new Byron Creek Bridge and renewal of a segment of Bangalow Road, as well eight kilometres of safety improvements – that is a huge achievement and a substantial outcome for the community and the wider region,” he said.
“Byron Creek Bridge has always played a very important role for the community, providing a link between Bangalow village, the surrounding agricultural areas and Byron Bay town centre.
“It provides the most direct access for heavy vehicles, school bus services, emergency services and infrastructure maintenance services Between Bangalow and Byron Bay, and is in need of critical upgrading.
“The existing bridge has a timber structure with a concrete decking slab, so it can be deceiving to motorists as to what the true condition of the bridge is.
“This is a major win and these critical road and bridge upgrades will improve the efficiency and productivity of agricultural businesses for the Northern Rivers region,” he said.
