BYRON SHIRE Council has called for tenders for the construction of the new gateway roundabout at the intersection of Bayshore Drive and Ewingsdale Road at Byron Bay.
This project is a major piece of infrastructure for Byron Bay and has been on Council’s drawing board for many years.
A $2.6million grant from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund program was awarded to Council in 2017 and means Council can start work on the roundabout this year.
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“This substantial Australian Government grant has allowed us to deliver a critical piece of connective infrastructure for our community – a lot sooner,” Byron Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson said.
“It really is going to make life and business a whole lot easier and less frustrating for everyone who works, shops and lives in and around the Arts and Industrial Estate and we are very excited to be delivering it,” he said.
“More than 20,000 vehicles use this road on any given day, more in peak holiday times, so this new roundabout, when finished, will have enormous benefits for business owners, employees and customers who currently need to battle through traffic,” he said.
“It’s big city traffic in a small regional town,” Mayor Richardson said.
Next Steps
Once the tender is appointed, Council will announce a schedule of works with road and roundabout construction expected to commence shortly after the April school holidays and will take around 10 months to complete, weather permitting.
Council’s Infrastructure Services Director, Phil Holloway, said the design of the new roundabout will aim to minimise traffic disruption and communicate necessary detours and delays as clearly as possible.
“We’re acutely aware of the impact works like this have on people’s businesses and everyday lives and will do our utmost to minimise this, especially through smart design and project management, and clear communication,” Mr Holloway said.
“Of course, we will also provide put the work schedule on Council’s new website and post regular updates on both the website and social media.
“In the coming weeks we will be letter-dropping information to residents and businesses in the Arts and Industrial Estate and neighbouring communities and will be holding a number of information sessions for the entire the community,” Mr Holloway said.