Cudgen Road Tunnel
The Cudgen Road Tunnel is a twin-tube road tunnel that forms part of the Pacific Motorway (M1) located near Stotts Creek in the Tweed Valley of northern New South Wales, Australia. The twin 134-metre-long (440 ft) tunnels are illuminated inside and accommodate for northbound traffic in one tunnel and southbound traffic in the other tunnel. The tunnels pass under the Cudgen Road and the Condong Range.[1]
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Stotts Creek, Tweed Valley, northern New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 28°16′45″S 153°31′12″E |
| Status | Open |
| Route |  Pacific Motorway (M1) |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | Abigroup |
| Opened | 4 August 2002 |
| Owner | Roads & Maritime Services |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Character | Dual carriageway motorway |
| Technical | |
| Length | 134 metres (440 ft) |
| No. of lanes | Opened as 2 northbound & southbound lanes |
| Operating speed | 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) |
Features
Built as part of the Yelgun to Chinderah upgrade of the Pacific Highway to the Pacific Motorway, it opened to traffic on 4 August 2002 and was jointly funded by the New South Wales and Commonwealth governments.[2] It is the first tunnel to be built as part of a rural road project in NSW.[3]
This alignment of the Yelgun to Chinderah motorway was aimed at avoiding the loss of prime cane land, avoiding flood-prone areas and preserving important local animal habitat. The best route was through the Condong Range. A tunnel was chosen instead of a road cutting because it was sympathetic with the surrounding environment by removing the visual impact of a road cutting.[3]
References
- "Yelgun Bypass - Cudgen Road Tunnel". Australasian Tunnelling Society. 2016. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- "Yelgun to Chinderah, Pacific Highway upgrade". Roads and Traffic Authority. Government of New South Wales. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- "Yelgun to Chinderah Freeway Official Opening 4 August 2002" (PDF). Roads and Traffic Authority. Government of New South Wales. 4 August 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2010.