Source: New South Wales Transport
Safer access to the Pacific Highway is on the way for Harrington and Coopernook residents, with early work underway for the Pacific Highway – Harrington Road Intersection upgrade.
Transport for NSW A/ Executive Director Partnerships & Integration North Greg Collins said the Australian and NSW Governments are investing $60 million in an interchange with an overpass that connects Harrington and Coopernook roads over the Pacific Highway.
“The project will improve road safety by removing the right hand turns on and off the highway, while also upgrading accessibility and connectivity to the Pacific Highway for local communities, visitors and freight operators,” Mr Collins said.
Early work activities are underway to address the soft soil foundations. The project is undertaking a key component known as preloading, which stabilises the ground before the road is built.
“Soft soils are often found in floodplain areas and are characterised by high water content and low strength,” Mr Collins said.
“They add complexities to road design and construction because they compress easily and are susceptible to movement, soft soil treatments reduce the expected amount of settlement once the road is open.
“Initial pre-loading at the project site has already been carried out over a number of years. The embankment will be topped up with the final pre-load and surplus fill material to compress the soil and squeeze out the water before construction starts.”
Other work to be carried out includes installation of project signage, site establishment, vegetation clearing and boundary fencing as well as installation of erosion and sedimentation controls.
Early work will take around 16 weeks to complete, with major work on the interchange expected to start in 2027.
Transport for NSW will continue to keep the community updated via the project web page at nswroads.work/h2c