The contract for the main civil work between Iluka Road and Devils Pulpit - the final stretch of the scheme - has now been awarded to BMD ե֭s. “This will involve upgrading a 14.9-kilometre section of highway, creating about 120 jobs, with about 2,500 direct and 7,500 indirect jobs expected to be supported in the broader workforce at the peak of work of the project,” said New South Wales minister for roads, maritime and freight Melinda Pavey.
Federal minister for infrastructure and transport Darren Chester said the milestone showed the sheer scale of one of Australia’s most significant infrastructure projects, with completed works along the full Pacific Highway length already delivering safer roads and reducing fatalities. “The first two sections of the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade, 22 kilometres of new divided highway between Woolgoolga and Glenugie, were recently opened, delivering a safer and more reliable road network along the New South Wales north coast,” he said.
New South Wales member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the contracts awarded to date showed the complexity of the project. “To date, contracts have been issued to various private sector partners to deliver main civil packages, bridge packages and the two longest bridges on the Woolgoolga to Ballina section – the Clarence River and Richmond River bridges,” he said.
The upgrade, which is due to fully open in 2020, is funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
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