A major upgrade of the main road into and out of Mullumbimby has been delayed, say Byron Shire Council staff.
The $5.3 million Mullumbimby Road upgrade delay ‘will be until the middle of the year to allow staff more time to finalise plans and revise traffic management for the project’.
Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway, said, ‘The project was to start at the end of May, but pushing the pause button also means we are able to work directly with concerned members of the community, answering specific questions about detours and other issues related to the road upgrade’.
‘We want to take some time to fully brief residents about the Mullumbimby Road upgrade project to clear up any misunderstandings’.
He said the road upgrade is a complex project on, ‘the second busiest road in the Shire, carrying around 13,000 vehicles a day’.
‘The length of Mullumbimby Road being upgraded is narrow in some sections with a small road reserve on either side, meaning there are limited options for traffic control when roadwork is being done.
‘This means that it will not be possible for the road to be open to two-way traffic during parts of the project and with few options to get in and out of Mullumbimby this will equate to traffic delays,’ Mr Holloway said.
‘Drivers will be understandably frustrated because we will be asking them to use Myocum Road or Coolamon Scenic Drive for several months to get in and out of Mullumbimby.
The project will be done in two main stages.
‘Stage one will run from late June to September, and will involve safety improvements from the McAuleys Lane intersection to The Saddle Road intersection, including shoulder widening of Mullumbimby Road and McAuleys Lane around the intersection’.
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