A longstanding issue causing major disruptions for heavy vehicle operators on the Pacific Motorway has been permanently resolved with the installation of new technology and truck turnaround areas at the Tugun Bypass tunnel.
Previously, overheight trucks occasionally bypassed warning signs and became stuck at the tunnel entrances, particularly when approaching from Queensland. In the past, these drivers were forced to reverse up to four kilometres with the assistance of Transport for NSW, Transport and Main Roads Queensland, and police from both states—a process that caused significant delays.
With the completion of this infrastructure upgrade, overheight vehicles will now be detected earlier and have designated turnaround areas closer to both tunnel entrances. The improvements, implemented during scheduled maintenance closures over the past two years, include advanced warning systems, five new warning signs, new traffic lights, and variable speed limit signs to halt overheight trucks before they reach the tunnel.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison highlighted the benefits of the project, made possible by investment from the NSW Government.
“With the investment from the Minns Labor Government, overheight vehicles should never reach the tunnel, but if they do, they can be turned around with help from the Tugun incident response officer or a single police officer,” Minister Aitchison said.
“The time and cost savings from this change are enormous and it will mean the lengthy delays when an overheight vehicle inadvertently entered the tunnel are a thing of the past.
“Transport for NSW put in new overheight detection systems to notify staff of a vehicle approaching the tunnel, so they can immediately activate variable speed limit signs to stop them reaching the tunnel.
“We’ve also installed five new advance warning signs and new traffic lights just short of where we’ve put in new heavy vehicle crossovers.”
The Tugun tunnel, which runs underneath Coolangatta Airport, straddles the New South Wales-Queensland border. The project was completed through close collaboration between authorities in both states.
“The project has improved advance warning technology as well as the infrastructure, so if any overheight vehicles did get past the advance warning systems, they would be stopped and able to turn around at the entrance to the tunnel,” Minister Aitchison added.
With these enhancements in place, the risk of overheight trucks blocking the Tugun Bypass tunnel is now significantly reduced, improving safety and efficiency for all motorists using the key interstate corridor.