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$8.1 Million Warialda Bypass opened by NSW Governor General
GWYDIRNEWS Community news for the Gwydir Shire and surrounds MARCH 2021 EDITION • WWW.THEGWYDIRNEWS.COM.AU
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Gwydir Shire Council Engineering Manager Alex Eddy, State Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, NSW Governor Margaret Beazley AC QC, Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, Gwydir Shire Council Mayor John Coulton and General Manager Max Eastcott officially opened the $8.1 million Warialda heavy vehicle bypass
Construction of Warialda’s new $8.1 million heavy vehicle bypass near the Gwydir has been completed and was officially opened on Thursday May 5 by the NSW Governor General Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC.
The project resolves a road freight pinchpoint at the intersection of Stephen Street in Warialda and the Gwydir Highway, which B-doubles cannot negotiate without crossing the centreline of both roads and road trains are unable to traverse at all.
bypass, 55,000 cubic metres of material, including rock and vegetation, had to be cut away,” he said.
The Govenor, was joined in Warialda by Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, State Member for or Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall and Gwydir Shire Council Mayor John Coulton.
This intersection is a known point of congestion and a significant hazard for heavy vehicles transporting their goods through Warialda. The bypass will allow heavy vehicles to avoid the intersection, directing trucks to the east of Warialda, over the new bridge on Warialda Creek and onto the Gwydir Highway.
“15,000 cubic metres of material has been filled and compacted to make the road base, with 10,000 cubic metres removed totally off site. The remaining 30,000 cubic metres has been used for noise retention barriers and the rehabilitation of gravel pits during construction.
The 4.1-kilometre road will bypass the intersection of Stephen Street and Gwydir Highway providing a safe and direct route for high productivity freight vehicles travelling from north of Warialda east to Inverell or west to Moree along the Gwydir Highway.
Mr Marshall said the amount of earthmoving done over the life of the project was incredible. “To establish the route of the
“A portion of what was removed was used to build noise abatement banks on the Warialda side of the roadway.
“This has been a huge project for a small council to undertake alongside its regular ....continued page 4
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