The speed limit on the Pacific Highway near the Cameron Street intersection at Maclean has been temporarily reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h to help improve safety while work on the $4.36 billion Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade is carried out, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis has announced. Mr Gulaptis said the new speed limit was in place from about 500 metres south of Cameron Street to north of the Jubilee Street overpass at Maclean. “The decision to reduce the speed limit followed representations to me from the community about safety in the area while the project is being built,” he said. “The Woolgoolga to Ballina project team has worked quickly with Roads and Maritime Services to reduce the speed limit recognising the extensive roadside construction work near the busy intersection could be distracting for drivers. “The safety of road users and workers during the upgrade is of the highest priority. The project team is actively working to ensure roads are as safe as possible during construction,” he said. The road surface in the area of the intersection will also be resealed and new line marking installed. This will provide a safer road surface and clearer separation of traffic travelling in both directions and safer accessibility at the Cameron Street and highway intersection. Line marking work has started on the highway and continued at the intersection on Monday and Tuesday (of this week) with work to reseal the road surface planned for mid November, weather permitting. Mr Gulaptis said the project team has been monitoring the road network and progressively introducing measures to improve safety for all road users. “One of the team’s first steps was to reduce the speed limit to 80km/h for all of the project’s work vehicles on local roads. “Speed limit reductions are also in place for all road users on local roads in the Coolgardie Road to Broadwater area and between Tyndale and Glenugie. “The temporary road work speed limits in these areas will be removed once the upgrade is complete,” Mr Gulaptis said. Speed limit changes are part of a suite of measures being implemented, investigated and trialled on the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway project with the aim of improving safety for motorists and workers during the upgrade. Service roads are also being built at a number of locations to enable the highway to be safely built while keeping traffic moving. Yellow lines have also been installed on a 1.2 kilometre section of road south of the bridge across the Clarence River at Harwood. “Based on the success of the trial, yellow line marking has also recently been installed on about 2.3 kilometres of the highway at Chatsworth Island,” Mr Gulaptis said. “The yellow lines are aimed at helping road users more easily identify changed conditions and if successful will be extended to other work zones on the highway and potentially other projects across NSW. “Road users also now have an improved driving experience on a 3.5 kilometre section of the Pacific Highway south of Broadwater with the introduction of electronic variable speed limit signs. “The signs can be changed remotely out of construction work hours improving worker safety, reducing frustration for road users and ensuring journey reliability and efficiency which is key for our important freight and logistics industry,” he said. Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions and always observe the sign posted speed limit.