Final weeks of work for Scotts Head Road black spot project

WORKS on a major section of Scotts Head Road are approaching completion, with Council crews estimating the project will be ready for sealing within the next four to six weeks.

The current stage of construction forms part of the ongoing Scotts Head Road Black Spots Program, which aims to improve safety along sections of the road identified as crash-prone or potentially hazardous locations.

This latest upgrade focuses on one of the most extensive sections of the project, with road reconstruction works carried out on several bends along the route.

Nambucca Valley Council General Manager Bede Spannagle told News Of The Area the project has already delivered meaningful safety improvements for road users.

“Our team has been working on turns 5, 6, and 7 on Scotts Head Road for about three months now, which is the longest and most complex reconstruction section for the road to date,” he said.

As part of the upgrade, significant drainage improvements have also been incorporated to help the road perform better during heavy rain.

“The drainage there has been significantly improved, with three, 600mm wide culverts now installed under the road, each about 17 metres in length, which will dramatically improve the road’s performance in this low-lying area during rain events,” Mr Spannagle said.

“Through a total of $2.3 million investment from the Australian Government’s Black Spots Program, this section of road near Scotts Head Nursery will be bitumen sealed in about four to six weeks’ time, weather depending, and its completion will mark the fourth project site to be finished.”

Highly complimentary of the approach locals have taken regarding the road works, Mr Spannagle said, “I’d like to thank the Scotts Head and Way Way communities for their ongoing patience while we carry out the major upgrade to this road and ultimately make it far safer for motorists.”

Once this widened section near Scotts Head Nursery is finished, Council’s road construction team will move on to other reconstruction projects further north-west, closer to Macksville.

Funding for the works was secured by Council in 2021–22 through the Australian Government’s Black Spots Program, which targets locations with a history of casualty crashes or areas considered high-risk for future accidents.

The program aims to reduce both the social and economic impacts of road trauma by improving road conditions and safety features.

When complete, the Scotts Head Road upgrades will see several sections of the route realigned and widened, providing safer travel for motorists using the important coastal link.

By Mick BIRTLES