Pacific Highway Bypass of Coffs Harbour

[alnjan]

Why have tunnels at all??
They need to be shut for maintenance.
https://m.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/highway-tunnel-will-close-this-week/3573423/

Very good question Jon.  Some of the excuses are drawing very long bows.  The main excuse is tunnels are quieter then cuttings. 
- Some how in the darkness of a tunnel, black magic happens and noise just disappears, where as with cuttings the noise will reverberate around the natural amphitheatre around West Coffs and the noise will be continually deafening.  Even though the requested tunnels are sort of at the extremes of the Bypass as it passes around the back of Coffs, I just can not see any advantage of tunnels suppressing any noise when the open Bypass passes closer to the residential areas. 
- A technical excuse is the angle of the roadway is increased by having cuttings, the tunnels are dug deeper lowering the elevation of the bypass by a whole 10 meters over in West Coffs.   
- The natural backdrop of Coffs Harbour will forever be scarred by cuttings so to keep the natural beauty of private property slowly being over taken by suburbia there must be tunnels.  The Bypass does not go above the existing scars on the private property that has been cleared and being developed. 
- the best excuse I saw was the massive cutting on Gatelys Road, the northern cutting, due to it's size, 60-70 meters deep 380m long and not sure of width, but the cutting will change the landscape to the extent it will also change the climate of Coffs Harbour. 

I agree, why the need for tunnels.  Collectively the tunnles at best will make up just over 1km of a 14km bypass.  I just can not see sufficient noise suppression of a tunnel, compared to the noise from the open road, to the majority of the residential areas of West Coffs to justify the additional cost in the additional construction and infrastructure of tunnels.  Further when you look at the ongoing, ever increasing cost of the scheduled , ongoing maintenance of tunnels, two nights per tunnel per every three months.  The ongoing cost , again I just can not see the justification for it.  That expense could be better used else where, either other road construction or health, education, law etc.   What school or hospital will knock back a lazy $1m a year. 

[alnjan]

Could be a long hot couple of years until something is built. 

https://www.triplem.com.au/news/coffs-coast/coffs-bypass-woman-receives-death-threat-for-saying-just-build-it/?station=coffs&fbclid=IwAR2SheXEXnKZQEr_IfHTvspvBP1UVoHQ38wRmn2fvo-qLzk7VKM9MZ1J0zc



"Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker has called for a rational debate on the Coffs Harbour bypass after a woman who yesterday said “just build it” received a phone threat to her life."

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Had an event in the Burnley Tunnel Melbourne 1 day ago.

https://www.9news.com.au/2018/12/07/10/36/melbournes-burnley-tunnel-closed-due-to-truck-fire

[alnjan]

yeah saw that yesterday.  Someone on one of the Bypass Facebook groups posted it to show how good the tunnels were.  Their comments went to suggest the sprinkler system comes on automatically, put the fire out and then tunnel was open for business as usual straight away.  Some people have a rather restricted view point at times. 

[Rumpig]

Took me 18 minutes on Friday to drive through Coffs (from 80kph sign at North end of town to the 100kph sign at South end)...the sooner they bypass Coffs the better.

[alnjan]

18 minutes would be a good run.  That can easily run to over 30 minutes with traffic and traffic lights. 

[vern]

Took me 18 minutes on Friday to drive through Coffs (from 80kph sign at North end of town to the 100kph sign at South end)...the sooner they bypass Coffs the better.

Probably should have gone down Hogbin Dve.

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[Hairs]

Took me 18 minutes on Friday to drive through Coffs (from 80kph sign at North end of town to the 100kph sign at South end)...the sooner they bypass Coffs the better.

You need to buy a lotto ticket.
Sheesh

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[Rumpig]

Probably should have gone down Hogbin Dve.

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got no idea where that is...was just passing through the town, after spending the night at Illaroo heading to Tea Garden.

[alnjan]

got no idea where that is...was just passing through the town, after spending the night at Illaroo heading to Tea Garden.

It runs east of the current highway from just behind Park Beach Plaza in the north to Sawtell in the south with a couple of cross roads connecting it back to the Highway.  Sometimes can be quicker, just depends what you stuck behind and if they know how to use a roundabout or not.   

[Hairs]

It just depends what you stuck behind and if they know how to use a roundabout or not.   

That would be 90% of road uses



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[alnjan]

That would be 90% of road uses



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Pretty much. 


You know your having a good day when you get blocked from the one Facebook Group with 271 followers (at time of writing) that claims to be the only ones representing all of the Coffs Harbour Residents for the big offence of telling the facts as set out in the RMS reports.  As those facts don't agree with their argument I am a troll and blocked.   

[vern]

Pretty much. 


You know your having a good day when you get blocked from the one Facebook Group with 271 followers (at time of writing) that claims to be the only ones representing all of the Coffs Harbour Residents for the big offence of telling the facts as set out in the RMS reports.  As those facts don't agree with their argument I am a troll and blocked.   

What group is that, think I might join!

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[alnjan]

What group is that, think I might join!

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Coffs Bypass Action Group

[Fizzie]

So set up a new group "Bypass Coffs" or similar, aimed at the ~75000 other residents, & give them the facts without the emotion

[alnjan]

One thing that does amuse my twisted way of looking at things. 

We have just finished the Community Engagement Stage, where the RMS and State Planning had a display of the Concept Design and they are seeking Community feedback on the design features.  One would think it would be a pretty straight forward process.  Nah.  Here is the opportunity for the Community to have its say.  Yes, most have given their feedback but with it too is the ones that can only blame the current Pollies for creating this mess of a Bypass and forcing it onto the Community without consulting with the Community.  Then as we are close to both State and Federal elections they run to the other Political candidates to get them started with their Campaigning.  For what gain.  It just becomes a Campaigning slinging match over a time when all that is being asked is Community Feedback to try and improve the Concept Design.  I am sure people have no understanding of the term Concept and how it differs from Final Plan, when it does go to the Pollies for their input.  The number of conspiracy theories and theorists out there is amazing.  All for the lack of understanding of an EIS process, or their selected blindness and refusal to the process.  I am sure they must think the world is flat and man never made it to the moon and still waiting for the Elvis return tour.   

[Fizzie]

Just looking at stuff for the new Toowoomba Bypass & saw this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toowoomba_Second_Range_Crossing

Plan: "The proposed alignment was 42.2km long; up to 40 bridge structures; 5 major interchanges; and twin 735 meter long three lane tunnels through the range crest"

Actual: "design that employed the use of a viaduct over the Toowoomba range (instead of tunnels) allowing the use of dangerous goods to utilise the bypass"

I know we mentioned it before, but tunnels = DGs still being trucked through the centre of town ; cuttings = they don't!

[chester ver2.0]

18 minutes would be a good run.  That can easily run to over 30 minutes with traffic and traffic lights.

Im from Sydney my sarcastic heart bleeds for you..... Can i get you a tissue to wipe away your tears of frsustration

[Rumpig]

18 minutes would be a good run.  That can easily run to over 30 minutes with traffic and traffic lights.

it should of been bypassed years ago and take about a minute or 2 to drive past the place was what I was hinting at....i'll be happy if they tunnel through and make hazardous goods go through the town, that is what happens at the Tugan bypass,  so just have it the same a few hundred kilometres further down the highway is my view....just get it built so travellers don't need to go through the town anymore.

[alnjan]

Im from Sydney my sarcastic heart bleeds for you..... Can i get you a tissue to wipe away your tears of frsustration

yep and if we had a Council with some foresight in planning not everything would be only accessible from the Highway.

For an example our Hospital can only be accessed from the Highway.  A number of industrial areas and residential area, each separately built and only accessible via the Highway.  From a Disaster Management view point all you can really do is count the dead and wounded. 

[Bird]

Im from Sydney my sarcastic heart bleeds for you..... Can i get you a tissue to wipe away your tears of frsustration

Shitney needed to put the "**** OFF WE'RE FULL" sign up 20 years ago... I dont understand the logic of how they keep building more and more high rises when the place is gridlocked now?

Put another lane on the freeway, add tolls and then still come to some piss ant road like Parramatta goat track road.

[macca]

Shitney needed to put the "**** OFF WE'RE FULL" sign up 20 years ago... I dont understand the logic of how they keep building more and more high rises when the place is gridlocked now?

Put another lane on the freeway, add tolls and then still come to some piss ant road like Parramatta goat track road.

Should have included Melbourne in that as well Bruce, I go over the Monash at six on the morning and it is a car park then and thats 50km from the CBD

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[alnjan]

it should of been bypassed years ago and take about a minute or 2 to drive past the place was what I was hinting at....i'll be happy if they tunnel through and make hazardous goods go through the town, that is what happens at the Tugan bypass,  so just have it the same a few hundred kilometres further down the highway is my view....just get it built so travellers don't need to go through the town anymore.

Yep the Bypass route was selected in 2004.  The first Concept Design released in 2008.



We are now 2018, nearly 2019 and work is not planned to start until end of 2020, which really wont be until 2021/2 with a 3 and 4 year build for the two stages.  One stage to just bypass Coffs 14kms and second Stage to connect and northern end to southern end of new Highway upgrades at Sapphire. 

Work on the Bypass was set to start around 2010 but following fallout from the 2008 Concept Design not being on another route certain people, groups, Councillors wanted progress came to a halt and work went into the Sapphire to Woolgoolga and beyond.  Now we are just left with Coffs Harbour and the cluster@*&$(* south of Heatherbrea

[alnjan]

Just looking at stuff for the new Toowoomba Bypass & saw this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toowoomba_Second_Range_Crossing

Plan: "The proposed alignment was 42.2km long; up to 40 bridge structures; 5 major interchanges; and twin 735 meter long three lane tunnels through the range crest"

Actual: "design that employed the use of a viaduct over the Toowoomba range (instead of tunnels) allowing the use of dangerous goods to utilise the bypass"

I know we mentioned it before, but tunnels = DGs still being trucked through the centre of town ; cuttings = they don't!

There has been much maybe one sided discussion on the subject of Dangerous Goods.  But they have come up with only 1 to 15 Dangarous Goods vehicles go through Coffs per day on average and most of those vehicles go into Coffs for deliveries or whatever, which means only a couple of Dangerous Goods vehicles would otherwise use the bypass so that small number of Dangerous Goods can continue to go through Coffs Harbour.   Don't worry about the yearly cost which will continually go up each year just for the sake of a couple of dangerous Goods vehicles each day.  I am sure a $?M or more could be better spend elsewhere each year then the ongoing maintenance of a tunnel or two in Coffs Harbour.  Maybe that is what the Mayoress means when she said, we don't want you cheap road? 

What is scary is these people only think of dangerous goods as fuel tanker and LPG tankers and a load of aerosol cans.  If they really knew what went up and down the Highway they would move else where. 

[alnjan]

Talking of other Cities, mainly for medical reasons we have had a few occasions over the years to go to various medical establishments in Brisbane.  Mighty impressed with how easy it has been to get to where we needed to go.  Easy run straight up the Highway and to the CBD of Brisbane. 

going through the Gold Coast I do wonder though.  Coffs Harbour is more like the Gold Coast in geographical terms.  Water to the east and a long narrow strip of usable land before steep ranges.  (that might be over simplifying the description) Unlike other region centres like Taree, Kempsey, Grafton, Ballina etc that are built on flood plains and can expand in most directions it likes, apart form Ballina.  With the construction and upgrades of the Motorway through the Gold Coast people must have really lost the plot if some Coffs residents are to go by.