Motorists who use the Ulmarra ferry will soon have a more reliable service, with dredging to be carried out around the river crossing during its regular maintenance shutdown period.

Transport for NSW Regional Director North Anna Zycki said the ferry will be out of service from Monday July 12 for at least three weeks for mandatory maintenance and Transport for NSW will also carry out dredging while it’s offline to make the service more reliable.

“Over the past 12 months the ferry service has had to be suspended a number of times after hitting a sand bar,” Ms Zycki said.

“Following an environmental assessment, Transport for NSW will dredge the area to remove the sand bar which is causing the obstruction while the ferry is undergoing maintenance.

“This will make the area around the crossing deep enough so the ferry no longer hits the river bed and can operate uninterrupted.”

Ms Zycki said the ferry will undergo a full inspection during this time, with maintenance checks carried out to ensure it continues to provide a safe and reliable service for the travelling public.

“No replacement ferry will be available, so motorists are advised to use an alternative route via the Lawrence ferry or the two bridges over the Clarence River at Grafton,” Ms Zycki said.