Eurobodalla Shire Council has opened the South Batemans Bay Link Road, allowing traffic on the Heron Road section.
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The road was opened in time for holiday traffic and the council said traffic would help to “bed down” its initial prime seal.
A council spokesman said the connection to the Princes Highway remained separated by water-filled barriers across the whole of the by-pass road, just west of Heron Road.
“Closer to Ridge Road, a locked gate remains to prevent access to the Princes Highway,” the spokesman said.
“The Rural Fire Service has a key to the gate in case of bush fire.”
The Link Road is an ongoing project to improve traffic flow south of Batemans Bay to the Princes Highway.
“Opening this section of the Link Road is a major step towards providing this critical piece of transport infrastructure for Eurobodalla,” the spokesman said.
“The council wishes drivers to be aware that at this stage the road only has an initial prime seal and temporary line marking to suit the temporary arrangements in place.
“The council will undertake minor top-dressing and tidy up works in the New Year.
“Further works have been budgeted to be undertaken during the 2018-2019 financial year and these will include the final seal and fully line-marking the final surface with standard width lanes, protected right turn intersections, the overtaking lane, centre and shoulder lines and adding delineator markers suited to the road being a by-pass road.”
He said works on the Link Road (Glenella Road) and George Bass Drive roundabout would recommence after the Australia Day weekend.
“Parts of the local area traffic management scheme for Heron Road will be installed in January 2018, with the remainder to be installed mid-2018 once lighting upgrades have been completed,” he said.
“The council expects, initially, there will be a low volume of traffic on the newly opened South Batemans Bay Link Road, which will help to ‘bed down’ the prime seal – an important part of the road building process.
“The council has advised Bega MP Andrew Constance and the Acting Regional Manager RMS Wollongong.
Mayor Liz Innes recently wrote to Andrew Constance MP seeking his support for the funding needed to allow the RMS to improve the Princes Highway south of Batemans Bay and make the connection with the Link Road.
“We appreciate the progress that has already been made by the Andrew Constance and the NSW Government on this major project which will take some time to complete,” Cr Innes said.
“We will continue to advocate on behalf of our community to finish this much needed upgrade which will help to address the appalling safety record on this section of the highway.
“It will also build the new intersection with the Link Road which would complete the Link Road by-pass.”
