Whether you're a grey nomad, a truck driver, a family holidaying on the mid north coast or someone visiting family in Sydney, this news story will be of interest.

The long-awaited Coffs Barbour Bypass is in countdown mode, 10 months to be exact, before it opens to traffic.

The 14-kilometre $2.2 billion project began construction in early 2023, so it has been a long journey to reach the point of opening.

In terms of time saved, the bypass cuts out 12 sets of traffic lights through Coffs, and is anticipated to save 12 minutes, as well as ease congestion in the Coffs CBD.

(Aerial view of the new Shephards Lane overpass bridge, looking north. Photo: NSW Govt)

Add that onto the 9 minutes that will be saved on the Raymond Terrace M! Pacific Motorway extension, which is also due for completion at the end of 2026, weather permitting, and a trip from Lismore to Sydney will be 7 hours and 15 minutes. That, of course, is without stopping.

A few may remember that the journey would take 11 hours only 20 years ago.

Currently, technology is being fitted in the tunnels of the state-of-the-art project, which will welcome tens of thousands of vehicles each day.

Large jet fans are being hoisted to the roof of the Gatelys Road and Shephards Lane tunnels to move fresh air into and through the tunnels. 

(Mechanical and electrical fit in the Gateleys Road Tunnel. Photo: NSW Govt)

High-tech electronic, variable speed and message signs, over-height truck detectors and boom gates, CCTV and infra-red traffic loggers will enable Transport for NSW’s Regional Traffic Operations Centre, in Byron Bay, to respond to incidents and reroute traffic and over-height vehicles as required.

The Operations Management and Control System (OCMS), developed by Australian company M&E Solutions, is already in use further north at the Tugun tunnel. 

Smoke and heat detectors will quickly identify vehicle fires and speed up the emergency response. The project team is also installing cable containment trays to link the intelligent transport systems across the three tunnels and paving the tunnels with asphalt.

Once complete, all walls inside the tunnels will be covered by architectural panels that will cleverly cover utilities, so motorists travelling through the tunnels can focus on the road ahead. 

The Coffs Harbour bypass is expected to be completed in late 2027; however, it will open to traffic, weather permitting, in December 2026.

More information available at https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/projects/coffs-harbour-bypass.