Bypass bridge close to completion

THE bridge going over Wardell Road at Alstonville should be finished next month, with the $102 million bypass on track to be completed before the end of the year.

The nearly completed Wardell Road overpass on the Alstonville bypass.

THE bridge going over Wardell Road at Alstonville should be finished next month, with the entire $102 million bypass on track to be completed before the end of the year.

The new bridge is being built as part the 6.2km Alstonville bypass, and the RTA says it will be opened to traffic in September – but only if the weather stays fine.

An RTA spokesman said construction work was ‘progressing well'.

“Work is continuing on the Maguires Creek arch, Kay's Lane interchange and Wardell Road bridge,” he said.

“Road surface work will also be carried out along the entire stretch of road.

“Noise wall installation is nearly finished and landscaping work has begun.”

The bypass is expected to be finished by December, but there has been speculation that it is well ahead of schedule and could be opened much earlier.

Alstonville residents have already started planning the celebrations for the official opening of the bypass.

They campaigned for it for more than 20 years and want to make a fuss at the important milestone.

The 12.4km, $640 million Ballina bypass is also on track, according to the RTA.

“Work to be carried out over the next few weeks includes the completion of the Teven Road twin bridges, roadwork on the Teven interchange, completion of the Cumbalum and twin flood-relief bridges and completion of the twin Emigrant Creek central and north bridges,” a spokesman said.

Other work to be done between now and October will include:

Finishing paving from Cumbalum to Sandy Flat;

Start paving from Sandy Flat to Upper Sandy Flat and in the northern extension north of Ross Lane;

Start tie-in works to the existing Pacific Highway north of Ross Lane.

The Ballina bypass is on track to be finished by the end of 2012.

Originally published as Bypass bridge close to completion