Six options have been short-listed in the work to identify a preferred option for an additional crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton. The short-listed options are:

• E - Cowan Street, South Grafton to Villiers Street, Grafton.
• A - New bridge parallel to and immediately upstream of the existing bridge connecting Bent Street, South Grafton and Fitzroy Street, Grafton.
• C - Junction of Pacific Highway and Gwydir Highway, South Grafton to Pound Street, Grafton.
• 11 - Existing Pacific Highway north of South Grafton to Fry Street, Grafton.
• 14 - Existing Pacific Highway north of South Grafton to North Street, Grafton via Kirchner Street.
• 15 - Existing Pacific Highway north of South Grafton to Summerland Way north of Grafton, via Kirchner Street.

The short-listed options are shown in the January 2012 community update or see the short-listed options map on the Additional crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton page of this website.

Investigations on the short-listed options are progressing, including field survey work, geotechnical investigations, flora and fauna studies, urban character and landscape studies and examination of Aboriginal and/or non-Aboriginal heritage. Traffic modelling, flood modelling and noise modelling are also being undertaken on the options.

The investigations will be reported in the Route Options Development Report (RODR).

As part of these investigations, geotechnical borehole drilling is currently being undertaken at 6 locations and geotechnical gravity surveys are being conducted on the floodplain downstream of South Grafton. All survey work is being undertaken within Council road reserves in consultation with the Clarence Valley Council.

The sites have been chosen to avoid impacts on productive farmland and known areas of Aboriginal cultural significance. The current geotechnical investigations will complement previous geotechnical work undertaken in the area.

Geotechnical borehole drilling is required to understand the ground conditions and depth of the bedrock, which may influence the engineering design of the bridge and viaducts for the six route options. Gravity surveys are being undertaken to correlate the bedrock depth across the flood plain with the results of the borehole drilling.

When completed, the Route Options Development Report (RODR) will be displayed for community comment. Opportunities for community involvement following the release of the report will be advertised in the near future.

Comments received, the investigations carried out and the outcome of a value management workshop will all be inputs into a decision on a preferred option for an additional crossing.

Supplementary information available

Following the release of the Preliminary Route Options Report - Final (January 2012) earlier this year, additional information has been made available on the project website.

This information includes the strategic cost estimates and benefit cost ratio assessments in response to community feedback. The information is available on the project documents page under "Studies and reports".

Heavy vehicles

Large heavy vehicles (including semi-trailers and B-doubles) can disrupt traffic flows when negotiating the "kinks" on the existing Grafton Bridge, especially during peak periods.

Planning for the additional crossing of the Clarence River has provided for these semi-trailers and B-doubles to use the new crossing in preference to the existing bridge.

To encourage semi-trailers and B-doubles crossing the Clarence River to use the new crossing in preference to the existing bridge, it is proposed that the new crossing would become the designated heavy vehicle route for the Summerland Way. Routes for heavy vehicles to access the CBD and other areas would also be identified in consultation with Clarence Valley Council.

The additional crossing is intended to provide a different route for large heavy vehicles crossing the Clarence River which avoids the existing Grafton Bridge. It is not the intention of the new crossing to provide an additional freight corridor or to attract more heavy vehicles onto the Summerland Way.

The Pacific Highway will continue to be the priority designated freight route for heavy vehicles travelling between Sydney and Brisbane.

If you require any further information or have any questions or comments on the additional crossing of the Clarence River, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone, email or letter.

Chris Clark, Project Manager
Phone: 1800 633 332 (toll free)
Email: graftonbridge@rta.nsw.gov.au