People power prevails: bridge to stay until access road built MidCoast LGA (overall news) by News Of The Area - Modern Media - October 9, 2024 Residents protest against the proposed demolition of a wooden bridge on Old Coast Road before suitable highway access is constructed. PEOPLE power has prevailed with the City of Coffs Harbour Council backing down on immediate plans to demolish a wooden bridge on Old Coast Road at Korora. The demolition would have forced motorists at the southern end of Old Coast Road to travel more than five kilometres north along the narrow and winding road to access the Pacific Highway at Sapphire. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au One of the residents against the proposal, Joshua Keating, welcomed what he said was a commonsense decision. “They’ve backed down now and are going to delay the bridgework until the Coffs Harbour Bypass Project builds a temporary access road about 250 metres north of the existing point,” Mr Keating said. He said community protests about the proposal had been “all about safety”, with residents concerned about single lane sections, sharp blind corners, steep drop-offs and poor road surface maintenance on Old Coast Road. They also feared for the safety of schoolchildren and other pedestrians “who already navigate a rural road with no footpath and barely a verge to walk on”. Mr Keating said many residents believed the situation resulted from a breakdown in communication between the council and the NSW Government, who he said should be focussed on coordinating works and collaborating wherever possible. “A lot of people were just appalled at the proposal.” A City of Coffs Harbour spokesperson said the council’s project team “has continued to work with the Coffs Harbour Bypass team and contractors to reprogram the scheduled works to replace the wooden bridge on Old Coast Road to minimise access disruptions”. “This has now been achieved with bridge replacement work scheduled to start after the Coffs Harbour Bypass southern diversion of Old Coast Road to the Pacific Highway is complete, which is expected by the end of October. “The bridge replacement works are now expected to be completed in April/May 2025.” The spokesperson said a small drop-off/pick-up parking area at the intersection of Old Coast Road and Korora Basin Road, as well as pedestrian access across Pine Brush Creek, would be maintained for the duration of the works. More information on City of Coffs Harbour scheduled works is available at coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/scheduledworks By Mike HELY City of Coffs Harbour has delayed bridge works on Old Coast Road.
