Major safety upgrades along the Bruxner Highway are progressing, with early work at the Cowlong and Alphadale roads intersection due to begin in November.
Transport for NSW is advancing several projects along the corridor, including intersection upgrades, speed reductions and longer-term planning between Wollongbar and Goonellabah.
The most significant work is planned for the Bruxner Highway intersection with Cowlong and Alphadale roads, where an $11.4 million upgrade is progressing through detailed design.
Stage 1 early works, including warning signs, line-marking, shoulder sealing and vegetation removal, are scheduled to begin in November 2026, weather permitting. Stage 2 enabling works are expected to start in 2027.
Transport for NSW recently used a Road Safety Incident Investigation Camera, known as ROSIICAM, to examine safety at the intersection.
The month-long investigation, conducted between July 2 and 29, identified more than 600 near-miss events, including 129 classified as high risk.
Analysis found right-turn and cross-traffic movements posed the greatest risks, while speed was also identified as a significant factor.
About 43 per cent of vehicles involved in recorded events were travelling above the posted 70km/h speed limit.
The findings support plans to install traffic signals at the intersection.
Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said the upgrade was an election commitment she made in 2023.
“While I’m pleased that my major election commitment from 2023 to upgrade the Alphadale crossroads is finally moving forward, Transport for NSW advises that the installation of traffic signals is expected to be completed by December 2028.” said Saffin.
“In the meantime, I have successfully pushed for a speed reduction from 70kmh to 60kmh between Pineapple Road and a point about 500 metres east of the Alphadale Road-Cowlong Road intersection, which takes effect from November this year.
“Two of my other priority projects along this Bruxner corridor include addressing concerns about the increasingly busy Molesworth Street roundabout and investing in planning for an upgrade of the highway between Wollongbar’s Sneaths Road and Goonellabah’s Kadina Street, to cope with future growth.
“We are getting all of these projects back on track post the 2022 floods which interrupted understandably regular works so our public assets – roads, bridges and culverts – could be rebuilt and landslips stabilised.”
Transport for NSW is also proposing to reduce the speed limit from 70km/h to 60km/h along a 1.6-kilometre section of the highway between Pineapple Road and Alphadale Road.
The new limit is planned to take effect in November and is intended to better reflect the road environment and reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes.
Further east, planning is continuing on an upgrade to the Bruxner Highway and Ballina Road intersection at Alstonville.
Following community consultation in 2025, Transport carried out additional traffic monitoring and modelling to examine how the proposed upgrade could affect surrounding local roads.
The results will help inform the final design, with a Review of Environmental Factors determination report and construction timeline to be released as planning progresses.
Member for Ballina Tamara Smith welcomed the additional work following community feedback.
“Our local communities know these roads better than anyone. It is great to see that community feedback has prompted further action and investment.” said Smith.
“Regional roads are vital to regional communities, they connect people to work, school, health services and are used heavily where public transport isn’t always reliable and expansive. Any investment to improve that is welcome”
“I thank my community for taking the time to speak up and push for better outcomes that use local knowledge to ensure that investment is going where it’s needed”
Transport has also identified a preferred corridor for a future eight-kilometre upgrade of the Bruxner Highway between Sneaths Road at Wollongbar and Kadina Street at Goonellabah.
It is working with state and local government authorities to protect the corridor through planning controls, preserving the land for a future upgrade should funding become available.
In Lismore, Transport is reassessing options to improve safety and traffic efficiency at the Molesworth Street intersection.
The review is examining how travel patterns have changed since the 2022 floods, including movements by motorists, pedestrians and cyclists through the CBD.
Feedback from earlier community consultation is also being considered as Transport determines priorities for future improvements along the Bruxner Highway corridor.
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