Construction of a new roundabout on Bayshore Drive, at the intersection of the access road to Byron TAFE and the IGA shopping centre, is going to take five months longer than first scheduled to complete due to unexpected road and stormwater issues.
The new roundabout is a $2.4m project including footpaths, garden beds, new kerbs and gutters and lighting – and is now due for completion by the end of March 2026, weather permitting.
The project is part of the development of a 5.8-hectare Council-owned block of land where the Byron TAFE is located, known as Lot 12 Bayshore Drive.
"Since starting works, we've had a number of unforeseen and substantial stormwater drainage issues around the roundabout construction site on Bayshore Drive and they can't be ignored - they have to be fixed now," Council's Manager Assets and Major Projects Christopher Soulsby said.
"Unfortunately, some of the stormwater issues are complex and have been compounded by months of rain and a very high water table which makes upgrades to the drainage and construction of new roads really problematic.
"We wanted to be up front about these issues and let the local community and businesses know about the expected delay to completion of works as soon as possible. We'll continue doing all we can to work with everyone to minimise impacts and we've introduced work on a Saturday to speed things up," Mr Soulsby said.
Council built a slip lane through the Lot 12 Bayshore Road (TAFE site) earlier this year to ensure two lanes of traffic remain open for the majority of the roundabout construction and to provide access to the shopping complex.
"The new roundabout, once completed, sets up this education and innovation precinct for success and will be a great long-term asset for the future of Sunrise and the Byron Arts and Industry Estate," Mr Soulsby said.
For more information about the roundabout works go to Council's website.
