Tenders are being called for detailed geotechnical design on four sites as part of the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese said this was essential pre-construction work.
“The successful contractor will be required to develop an overall strategy to treat four soft soil areas between Glenugie and Ballina to ensure future construction can progress as fast as possible,” he said.
“This pre-construction work will begin in the coming months, adding to the extensive work that’s already underway on what is the most complex and expensive road project ever undertaken in Australia.”
The four areas to be treated are:

• Tyndale and Maclean


• Chatsworth Island at Harwood


• to the south of Woodburn


• north of Broadwater

NSW Minister for Roads and Ports, Duncan Gay, said once completed, the 155 kilometre upgrade will provide easy highway access for local traffic.
“The project starts about six kilometres north of Woolgoolga and ends about six kilometres south of Ballina,” he said.
“This upgrade will eventually lead to improved flood immunity, road safety and traffic flow on this stretch of the Pacific Highway.”
Since 2008, the Federal Government has committed over $7.9 billion and the NSW Government a further $2.5 billion to this massive nation building project.  The Federal and NSW Governments are jointly funding this planning and pre-construction work.
The design work contract is expected to be awarded in the second half of this year.