Preliminary route options

In February 2010, Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) released a community update which identified four preliminary options for an additional crossing of the Clarence River in the vicinity of the existing bridge.

In March 2010, Roads and Maritime Services held discussions with the community about the preliminary options. The community identified additional options and ideas both close to and separate from the existing bridge.

In April 2010, the then Minister for Transport and Roads met with some Grafton residents to discuss these investigations.

The Minister asked Roads and Maritime Services to review all issues raised by the community.

At its meeting in September 2010, Clarence Valley Council agreed to request Roads and Maritime Services to survey the people of Grafton and surrounds for their desire as to the position of the new bridge and, if necessary, expand the study area to include other areas for the placement of the bridge.

In December 2010, Roads and Maritime Services announced a revised community consultation process to identify a preferred location for an additional crossing. The December 2010 community update identified 13 preliminary route options which included the additional options previously suggested by the community following the March 2010 community discussions.

A postal survey between December 2010 and March 2011 inviting community comment received a further 28 crossing suggestions, bringing the total of suggested locations to 41.

At community forums in March 2011, Roads and Maritime Services advised the 41 suggested locations would be assessed for their feasibility, to identify those options that would be further considered and investigated.

Of the 41 suggestions, 25 feasible crossing locations have been identified within five strategic corridors. A summary of the feasibility assessment is included in the June 2011 community update and documented in the Feasibility Assessment Report (June 2011).

In January 2012, six options were short-listed (from the 25 preliminary options) for further engineering and environmental investigations. Additional consultation activities will be carried out before a final decision on the location of the additional crossing is made. The process undertaken to identify the six short-listed options is included in the Preliminary Route Options Report – Final (January 2012) and the January 2012 community update. Both are available on the project documents page of this website.