Frequently Asked Questions - South Batemans Bay Link Road
Project overview
Frequently Asked Questions about the South Batemans Bay Link Road.
September 2021
The project
What is the South Batemans Bay Link Road project?
Transport for NSW is building the next stage of the South Batemans Bay Link Road which will connect the Eurobodalla Shire Council upgrade of Glenella Road with the Princes Highway.
The project includes a new roundabout on the Princes Highway and a one kilometre upgrade of Glenella Road between the Princes Highway and Heron Road.
How does this project fit in with the Eurobodalla Shire Council project?
In early 2019, Eurobodalla Shire Council completed the first stage of the project between George Bass Drive and Heron Road. Transport for NSW is building the second stage of the project to provide a safe connection between Glenella Road and the Princes Highway.
Who is responsible for the project?
The NSW Government has committed $30 million for Transport for NSW to build the next stage of the project. The construction of the project will be carried out by the Transport for NSW Regional Maintenance Delivery (RMD) Southern team. RMD Southern was selected due to their large local workforce, their capacity and capability to start work immediately once detailed design was complete and the ability to utilise their local knowledge to find efficiencies in project delivery.
Where is the project up to?
In late 2019 Transport for NSW confirmed the preferred option for the proposal as a roundabout on the Princes Highway and an upgrade of Glenella Road between the highway and Heron Road. The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) (PDF, 18Mb) and the concept design went on display for community feedback in April 2020 and a submissions report (PDF, 7.82Mb) was developed in July 2020.
Pavement investigations and geotechnical work was carried out in May 2021 and this also helped inform the detailed design of the project which is now complete. Early utility work started in mid-August 2021 and major work started in November 2021.
How long will the project take to build?
The project is expected to be complete by early 2023, weather permitting.
What are the key features and benefits of the design?
The project includes a new roundabout on the Princes Highway at Glenella Road, an upgraded two lane road between the highway and Heron Road and changes to the intersection at Glenella Road and The Ridge Road.
The new roundabout on the Princes Highway will include:
- two southbound lanes through the roundabout
- a single northbound right turn lane through the roundabout to Glenella Road
- a northbound bypass lane on the Princes Highway
- a single lane entry to Glenella Road
- left and right turn lanes from Glenella Road.
The upgrade of Glenella Road will include:
- a sealed two-lane road (one lane in each direction) between the new roundabout on the Princes Highway and Heron Road
- changes to the intersection at Glenella Road and The Ridge Road, including a widened shoulder for passing vehicles.
The key benefits of the project are:
- improved travel times and connectivity to the southern coastal villages near Batemans Bay
- increased access and capacity to support growth in Batemans Bay and southern coastal villages
- improved access in emergencies
- improved safety and help reduce the severity of crashes in this location
- improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists on Beach Road and in the Batemans Bay town centre
- enhanced liveability and amenity of Batemans Bay, contributing to its attractiveness, sustainability and success
- providing a road network with increased capacity for future traffic growth
- improved access for business and freight for the southern coastal villages.
How will the roundabout operate?
The roundabout will provide a bypass lane for motorists travelling north on the Princes Highway, allowing traffic to flow past without entering the roundabout.
For motorists travelling south on the highway, two lanes will provide access to the roundabout. Left and right turn lanes will be available from Glenella Road to enter the roundabout and turn left or right onto the Princes Highway.
Vehicles turning right from Glenella Road (to travel north) will have a dedicated lane on the Princes Highway. The northbound bypass lane will be able to merge into the Princes Highway north of the roundabout.
What changes have been made since concept design?
The detailed design is now finalised and incorporates some changes as a result of community feedback. These include:
- designated left turn lane from Glenella Road to the Princes Highway at the roundabout
- left-in left-out arrangement to access Round Hill to improve the safety and accessibility to the lookout
- extension of the northbound merge lane along the Princes Highway to allow for safer merging of traffic
- pedestrian refuges to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Princes Highway and Glenella Road in two stages.
Construction
What are the construction hours?
Standard working hours for the South Batemans Bay Link Road project are:
- Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm
- Saturday between 8am and 1pm
Work outside of these hours may be required to reduce the impact to motorists during the day. Nearby residents will be notified of this work in advance.
Will there still be access to walking and bike tracks during and after construction?
There are no formal footpaths or cycle lanes within the construction boundary, however any residents who recreationally walk or jog along Glenella Road will be temporarily affected. We are aware that the surrounding area is used recreationally and part of the Tinnie Track trail for mountain biking is located near Glenella Road. Access to walking tracks and mountain biking trails, such as the Tinnie Track, via Round Hill will be unavailable during construction.
Fencing and signage will be implemented to stop pedestrians, cyclists and trail users from entering the construction area for safety reasons.
Access to Round Hill lookout will be limited during some stages of construction. This access will be reinstated at the completion of the project and will operate in a left-in left-out arrangement as part of the final design. All other recreational tracks will operate as normal following construction.
What is the impact to traffic during construction?
Traffic changes may be in place on the Princes Highway while the new roundabout is being built. This includes reduced speed limits and temporary lane closures.
One lane will be maintained in each direction on the Princes Highway at all times to minimise these impacts.
Glenella Road will be closed between the Princes Highway and Heron Road during construction. There will also be no access to Glenella Road from The Ridge Road during this work.
For the latest traffic updates, call 132 701, visit livetraffic.com or download the Live Traffic NSW app.
Will there be increased noise in the area?
There will be some noise associated with this work and we will make every effort to minimise noise where possible.
Preferred option assessment
What options were considered for the project?
During the development of the project, four options were considered and assessed. Each option had a similar road upgrade to Glenella Road, with different intersection types including:
- a roundabout including a northbound bypass lane on the Princes Highway
- a seagull with vehicles turning right onto the highway from Glenella Road, crossing the two southbound lanes onto a protected northbound lane before merging
- a left-in left-out with a no right turn into or out of the Glenella Road allowed
- a channelised right turn with a dedicated northbound lane for vehicles turning right into Glenella Road from the Princes Highway.
Why was a roundabout chosen as the preferred intersection option?
The roundabout was considered the preferred option as it allows safe access to and from the Princes Highway, allows for all travel movements and has the lowest environmental and property impacts.
It is also relatively easier to build, requiring smaller retaining structures than the other options and would cause less disruption to highway traffic during construction.
More details about each of the options, the assessment criteria and methodology for identifying the preferred option can be found in the Preferred Option Report (PDF, 2.19Mb).
Was a grade separated interchange considered?
The project team identified a range of intersection options to connect Glenella Road with the Princes Highway. Early development work considered a highway realignment and several grade separated arrangements.
Due to the surrounding landscape and challenging topography, these options were not considered feasible. The project team focused on options that were cost effective in meeting the project objectives.