The Blacks Drain crossing on Tweed Valley Way at South Murwillumbah has fully reopened after a $2.56 million rebuild designed to reduce the risk of another washout.
The NSW Government confirmed on Wednesday, November 4, that the project was complete, almost a month ahead of schedule. The crossing had already reopened to traffic while work continued on the culvert and floodgates.
Floods washed away the crossing in 1954, 2017 and 2022, cutting a road link between local communities and the Pacific Highway. Temporary repairs kept the route in use before work on a permanent replacement began in June.
The rebuild includes a concrete road surface and concrete protection for the slopes beside the crossing. Pedestrian access was improved and new traffic safety measures installed.
Tweed Shire Council engineering director Tim Mackney said it was ‘a complex project, particularly with critical underground services running through the site’.
He said favourable weather helped crews finish earlier than expected.
The works also included planting lomandra along the crossing. The native plant’s dense roots help hold soil in place, and the NSW Government says lomandra helped sections of a nearby cane drain withstand fast-moving water during the 2017 and 2022 floods.
Traffic was reduced to one lane during parts of construction, with short closures also required while crews worked.
The Commonwealth and NSW governments jointly funded the rebuild as part of a $22 million programme to restore and upgrade up to 35 causeways across Tweed Shire.
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