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 New South Wales, Australia. The twin 134-metre-long (440 ft) tunnels are illuminated inside with northbound traffic using one tunnel and southbound traffic in the other. The tunnels pass under the Cudgen Road and the Condong Range.[1]
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Stotts Creek, Tweed Valley, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 28°16′45″S 153°31′12″E |
| Status | Open |
| Route |  Pacific Motorway |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | Abigroup |
| Opened | 4 August 2002 |
| Owner | Transport for NSW |
| Traffic | Road |
| Character | Dual carriageway motorway |
| Technical | |
| Length | 134 metres (440 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| Operating speed | 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) |
Features
It was built by Abigroup as part of the Yelgun to Chinderah upgrade of the Pacific Highway, opening on 4 August 2002.[2] It was jointly funded by the New South Wales and Federal governments.[3] It is the first tunnel to be built as part of a rural road project in NSW.[4]
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.[4]
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 Freeway Abigroup
- "Yelgun to Chinderah, Pacific Highway upgrade". Roads & 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 & Traffic Authority. Government of New South Wales. 4 August 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
