Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, and NSW Minster for Roads, Michael Daley, announced the $245 million upgrade of the Pacific Highway at Bonville will open to traffic today.

Mr Albanese said work started on the jointly funded Australian and NSW Government project in November 2006.

“This 9.6 kilometre dual carriageway upgrade of the Pacific Highway starts south of Perrys Road, bypasses Bonville village and finishes at the junction of Lyons Road, about 11 km south of Coffs Harbour,” said Mr Albanese.

“The Bonville deviation provides continuous dual carriageway between Coffs Harbour and Raleigh.

“This project will improve traffic flow and road safety.”

Mr Daley said the community has contributed enormously to this project.

“The workforce on the Bonville upgrade rose from 30 employees in November 2006 to about 500 each month as the project continued,” Mr Daley said.

“Construction work on the Bonville upgrade has been a shot in the arm for the local economy.

“At least 65 per cent of the workforce included locals and local businesses.”

For more information about the Bonville upgrade, visit the RTA website at www.rta.nsw.gov.au

Bonville Upgrade fast facts:

•  More than one million cubic metres of earth was moved on the project.


•  There are 19 bridges on the project with a combined length of 1.2 km. The longest bridges are at Bonville Creek at 164 metres each.


•  There was about 25,000 cubic metres of concrete used in the bridges and other drainage structures.


•  About 19 km of drainage pipes were installed in the project.


•  More than 200,000 tonnes of aggregates and sand was used on the roads during the project.