2011

Teven gateway roundabout opening commissioned  on 19 May 2011.  

Pacific Highway traffic was switched onto the new Teven Road roundabout and the future Bruxner highway alignment  on 24 May 2011.

Northern section of the Ballina bypass from Cumbalum to north of Ross Lane opened to traffic on Tuesday 1 March 2011.

2010

Approval was obtained for the project's scope of works to be extended by 500m to the north of the project, to facilitate an improved safer connection with the approved Tintenbar to Ewingsdale upgrade in the future. For more information, read the Ballina bypass northern extension advertisement.

Documents relating to the planning, development and environmental assessment of the Ballina Bypass are available to view or download from the project documents page.

2008

Roads and Maritime Services (formerly Roads and Traffic Authority) formed an alliance with Leighton Contractors, Maunsell AECOM, SMEC and Coffey Geotechnics to design and construct the Ballina bypass.

2007

Roads and Maritime Services (formerly Roads and Traffic Authority) reviewed the Ballina bypass in light of recent planning on adjacent highway sections, construction timing issues and considering future traffic growth. The improved concept design for this project was placed on display for community comment in July 2007.

Key improvements

Bruxner Highway interchange:

• Grade-separated turning movements provided for traffic travelling to and from Ballina.
• The at-grade right hand turn movement for Bruxner Highway to southbound Pacific Highway traffic was removed. While using the roundabout at Teven Road interchange is a longer distance of travel it provides a safer turning movement.
• The Bruxner Highway and Pacific Highway traffic between the Bruxner Highway and Teven Road was separated to improve traffic safety and flow.

Teven Road interchange:

• Longer bridge over the interchange was designed to reduce the height of the embankment in an area of deep soft soils, and thereby speed up construction.
• Dedicated slip lane for Pacific Highway traffic entering/leaving Ballina was provided to improve the operation of the roundabout.

Cumbalum interchange:

• The interchange was moved to reduce the impact of soft soils and speed up construction timeframes.

Sandy Flat Creek Road:

• Safer traffic movements provided with Sandy Flat Creek Road traffic joining the existing Pacific Highway, consistent with the Ballina Bypass Representations Report (2001).

Ross Lane interchange:

• Interchange realigned to connect to the preferred route for the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale upgrade.

The alliance refined the concept design to further improve safety and constructability.  The acquisition of additional property allowed the separation of Bruxner Highway and Pacific Highway traffic.

Major construction started in June 2008.

2006

Roads and Maritime Services (formerly Roads and Traffic Authority) Road Services was awarded the initial works contract on 25 August 2006. Initial works started in October 2006, and were completed by December 2007.

Earth embankments were constructed to stabilise the underlying soft soils. These were also built to reduce future settlement of the highway in critical sections of the proposed route.

Two significant soft soil locations were identified:

• The first near Teven Road.
• The second at the southern approach to the northern crossing of Emigrant Creek at Cumbalum.

The future bridge approaches will be built at these sites.

1998 - 2005

Initial trial embankments over soft soils began at Teven Road and Cumbalum in 1998. These were designed to improve our understanding of the behaviour of the soft soils in the floodplain.

The project was approved in 2003.

More works occurred at these sites in 2004 and 2005. Also in 2004, a lightweight fill trial was constructed at Duck Creek at the southern end of the project.