Highway access arrangements

The location and layout of access points on the highway have been refined based on community comments and further investigations. Access would be provided via five grade-separated interchanges at the following locations:

• Existing Waterfall Way interchange at Raleigh.



• Ballards Road, south of Urunga.



• Near Boggy Creek west of Nambucca Heads.
• Bald Hill Road, south of Macksville.



• South of Warrell Creek village.

Changes to the highway access arrangements since the September 2007 community update include:

• New interchanges at Ballards Road and south of Warrell Creek.
• Modifications to the Bald Hill Road interchange to retain the existing highway south of the interchange as part of the local road network.
• Road safety improvements to the access ramps at the existing Raleigh interchange.

Local roads and property accesses

The existing Pacific Highway will link the five interchanges to:

• Provide safer access to properties that currently have direct highway access.
• Enable residents to take road trips to local shops and facilities without having to use the upgraded section of highway.
• Provide a continuous alternative local road link between Warrell Creek and Raleigh for school buses and motorists who do not wish to use the upgraded highway.
• Existing local roads will be retained and new local roads constructed to provide access to townships, communities and properties. Where required, these roads will pass over or under the new highway. There will be no direct access to properties from the new highway.

Alignment changes

Changes to the alignment of the upgrade since the September 2007 community update include:

• A shift in the alignment of the upgrade to the east, south of Bald Hill Road, to retain the existing highway as a local road connecting Scotts Head Road and the Warrell Creek/Donnellyville area to the interchange at Macksville.
• Minor alignment shifts through the Nambucca State Forest to minimise impacts on native flora and to avoid the disused tip site adjacent to Old Coast Road.
• Minor alignment shifts north of Valla Beach and through the Newry State Forest to reduce impacts on the existing highway and minimise impacts on native flora.
• A minor alignment shift west of Newry Island to minimise impacts on native flora and to provide increased separation between the upgrade and the SEPP 14 wetlands to the east.

Rest area

The area between the new and existing highways north of the Boggy Creek interchange is a potential location for a rest area for light and heavy vehicles.

Opportunities to stage construction

There are a number of opportunities to stage construction of the upgrade. They include construction of one or more of the sections of highway to bypass Warrell Creek village, Macksville, Bellwood (Nambucca Heads) and Mines Road, south of Urunga. At this time no decision has been made in regard to staging the construction of the project.