Work to start soon on Ballina bypass
Good news for those living on the Pacific Highway route through Ballina, with Member for Ballina Don Page saying the bypass is a step closer to actuality with the RTA expected to call tenders for pre-construction work this month.
Mr Page said the pre-construction work would include planning, land acquisitions and the construction of embankments over the soft floodplain soils in areas along the bypass route.
“One of the major challenges associated with the construction of the Ballina bypass will be the deep soft soils in the floodplain areas,” Mr Page said.
“Significant settlement is expected in some areas and trial embankments have been constructed.
“The length of the approved Ballina bypass will be 12.4 kilometres of divided carriageway, 6.6km shorter than the equivalent section of the existing Pacific Highway.
“The Federal and State governments announced in December last year the Ballina bypass was fully funded and construction would start as soon as possible.
“We are now seeing further progress on the project and it is great news for Ballina that the much-needed Ballina bypass is closer to becoming a reality.”
Mr Page said that route selection started in the late 1990s and Ministerial approval for the selected route was given in May 2003.
“It’s been a long process,” he said.
