TUMBULGUM ROAD, between Sunnyside Lane and Old Ferry Road will close for six months from Monday, February 13 for essential roadworks to take place.
The $1.7 million works will stabilise the cliff face, widen the road and footpath and upgrade storm water drainage.
The six-month project to improve safety for both pedestrians and motorists will start with contractors removing vegetation to allow the cliff face on the northern side of the road to be cut away to be almost vertical (in line with the current indent halfway along near the bench seat), before being stabilised and covered with a decorative natural-looking shotcrete finish.
Planter boxes will be built-in at both the toe and top of the cliff to allow vines to be grown on fixed trainer wires both up and down the face to add a green finish over time. A fence will be built at the top of the cliff to block access to the drop.
On completion of the work at the cliff face in May, Council will upgrade the drainage and stabilise the river side of the road. The roadway shared user path will be reconstructed with the path moved further north, shifting it at least a metre away from the river.
The new road will be widened to seven metres and the shared user path to 2.5 metres wide. This extra width will significantly reduce the current pinch point in the road, where heavy vehicles often mount the pedestrian kerb to negotiate the bend.
The riverbank will then be stabilised with either a guardrail or concrete barrier placed on top. The pre-existing riverside footpath will not be reinstated.
Early last year, the section was placed under both a 14-tonne weight restriction and 40km/h speed limit as the road on the river side was at risk of failing under heavy loads. On the cliff-face side, there has been an ongoing risk of rocks above dislodging and falling, especially during wet weather.
Vehicles will be diverted around the work site via Old Ferry Road and Queen Street. Heavy vehicles travelling to and from Murwillumbah CBD will be encouraged to use Cane Road and Queensland Road, or Tweed Valley Way and Wollumbin Street.
Detour signage will be erected on a number of feeder roads advising motorists of the alternate routes around the closed road section. Cyclists and pedestrians will still be allowed through the section, with extra care to be taken.
Racecourse Road closure
Council will also close a small section of Racecourse Road, near the intersection of Tumbulgum Road, Murwillumbah, on Monday, February 6 to repair a creek-bank slippage that threatens to undermine the road.
Work to stabilise the bank of nearby Mayal Creek and strengthen the section of built-up road that is in danger of failing will take about one month and cost $60,000.
The road will be closed to all traffic, which will be diverted around the section via Cane Road.
Mayor Milne you need to look at all the river banks the wakeboarding and skiers some leaving 1mtr waves crashing on the banks it’s a disgrace. I grew up in tumbulgum rd from the age of 9yrs and now live in Tweed Valley Way on the river at our back yard so know and love the river very well.