Ballina Shire Council has started preliminary investigation works at Fishery Creek Bridge, on River Street, and Canal Bridge, on Tamarind Drive, as part of their plan to duplicate both bridges.
The project also involves raising portions of the roadway on sections of River Street, between Teven Interchange and Ballina Island, and Tamarind Drive, between Ballina Island and Cumbalum Interchange.
Duplicating the existing bridges and raising these sections of road will improve evacuation options during flooding events and build a more resilient road network.
Once constructed, the duplicated bridges will provide dual lanes in and out of Ballina Island, improve traffic flow and increase the roads' capacity to comfortably cater for future traffic demands.
The Evacuation Route Raising (including bridge duplications) project will be completed across three years and has been funded by $40 million from the Australian Government through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP), which is administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority.
The Australian Government has provided $150 million to the NSW Government to deliver 36 flood mitigation and resilience projects across all seven local government areas (LGAs) in the Northern Rivers impacted by the devastating 2022 floods.
Several of the 36 NRRRP projects are now moving from design to delivery phase and aim to reduce the impact of future disasters to create a better position for communities to recover faster.
Following the 2022 flood events, Ballina's evacuation routes were inundated, unsafe and remained closed for a significant period. This project will reduce some low points on key access roads to Ballina Island.
Pre-construction work has started and will continue during 2024. This will include gathering geotechnical samples using barges and from the roadway at both Ballina bridges. These early investigations will involve:
- Footpath closures and pedestrian detours. Please follow on site signage.
- A marine barge will be present within both waterways. The boat ramp and navigation of the creek will remain open. Please follow on site navigation markers.
- Construction noise between 7am- 6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am – 1pm Saturdays.
Council will then move into the design and approval phase, with bridge construction anticipated to start in 2025.
Project work includes:
- Construct two new bridges adjacent to the existing Fishery Creek Bridge and Canal Bridge to create four-lane accesses to and from Ballina Island.
- Expand the approach roads to match the four-lane bridges.
- Improve pedestrian and cycleway links to cater for more active transport across the waterways.
- Raise sections of roadway between River Street at the Teven Interchange and Tamarind Drive at the Cumbalum Interchange.
Ballina Shire Council will continue to inform the community at each project phase. For more information or to sign up for updates visit ballina.nsw.gov.au/BallinaBridgesDuplications
