The bridge building contract for the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway upgrade has been awarded to the Bielby Hull Albem joint venture.
The joint venture will be constructing 23 bridges between Trustrums Hill and Richmond River as well as the new Mororo Bridge.
“The constant flow of contract and construction milestones show the Pacific Highway upgrade is well and truly on track, with motorists travelling the length of the Pacific Highway already saving about an hour and 45 minutes in travel time.
“When completed, motorists can expect to save up to two and a half hours driving between Sydney and Brisbane on a safer, more efficient highway with improved travel reliability through better flood immunity, fewer incidents and more readily available alternative routes,” Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said.
New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said that as part of the 155-kilometre project, 166 bridges – including 57 twin bridges – will be constructed, including major bridges that will cross the Clarence and Richmond rivers.
“Early work, including survey and geotechnical investigations for the bridge across the Richmond River at Broadwater, is nearly complete, with piling for this bridge expected to start in September, weather permitting.
“Contracts for the remaining bridges and five main civil work contracts for the highway between Glenugie and Pimlico are expected to be awarded before the end of 2017,” Mrs Pavey said.
According to Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, the Australian and State Governments are getting on with the Pacific Highway upgrade, which is well on track to be ready for traffic by 2020.
“The fantastic progress being made on the Woolgoolga to Ballina section is also great news for the local economy because it means about 2,500 direct jobs across the project as work progresses,” Mr Hogan said.