Upgrade delivers a safer ride on The Pocket Road

Published on 20 February 2023

Byron Shire Council has completed an overhaul of a 1km section of The Pocket Road thanks to a broader package of $25M in funding from the NSW Government.

“This was the second stage of works which means we’ve completed 2kms of improvements in total through both the first and second stages of this project, which is a great outcome for the community,” Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway said.

The project delivered a range of improvements including road widening with line-marked lanes for greater safety so that vehicles do not have to drive on the gravel shoulder when passing.

“We’ve also widened an existing culvert and bend in the road which is known as a safety hazard so that will be a relief for locals,” Mr Holloway said.

“We’ve been able to completely resurface the 1km section of road, removing the old highly-patched and pot-holed surface and making it much more resilient after rain events,” he said.

“And we’ve upgraded the drainage including replacement of pipes and headwalls to help deal with rain events and flash flooding,” Mr Holloway said.

The funding also enabled Council to mark the new road with signage to warn motorists of wildlife conservation areas. 

“We’ve been able to deliver a huge range of extra safety outcomes on this project that will benefit the whole community for decades to come thanks to the funding,” Mr Holloway said.

North Coast Duty MLC Ben Franklin said the project was made possible through a landmark road infrastructure investment for the region.

“At the last election, I made a promise of $25 million to the Byron Shire to help fix local roads. The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government delivered on the commitment and I’m thrilled that another project is now complete,” Mr Franklin said.

For more information about all the works see Council’s website.