Grandpas Scrub
In response to community feedback, the Coffs Harbour bypass was realigned to protect Grandpa’s Scrub, a rare remanent of ancient subtropical lowland rainforest near Mackays Road.
Since then, a dedicated team of Landcare volunteers have been working to restore and expand the site, holding regular working bees to remove invasive weeds and plant new native trees.
The long-term vision is to triple the size of the remnant forest by extending it downstream along Treefern Creek.
Hear from Landcare representative Aaron Hartley to learn more about the regeneration project and why protecting Grandpa’s Scrub is important.
Coffs Harbour Bypass - Grandpas Scrub Landcare Video
Temporary Arrangements for Korora Bus Interchange
As part of the Coffs Harbour bypass, the new Korora Bus Interchange and the section of Solitary Islands Way connecting it to the Korora Interchange will open from Monday 7 September.
The bus interchange and Solitary Islands Way will operate under a temporary arrangement for buses only for about five weeks while construction continues on the bus shelters.
During the temporary arrangement, pedestrian access will be available via the Luke Bowen Pedestrian Bridge and stairs connecting to James Small Drive.
The temporary bus bays on the Pacific Highway will be removed as part of this change and all bus access will be via the Korora Interchange and Solitary Islands Way.
Check out the map below to understand the temporary set up.
OPENING SOON: Korora Bus Interchange and section of Solitary Islands Way
From Monday 12 October, after the NSW school holidays, the interchange will open to its full functionally and the public parking spaces will become available.
The Korora Public School kiss and ride will permanently move from James Small Drive to the new bus interchange from Monday 19 October – the school will provide parents with information about the transition.
When the interchange opens to its full functionality, the section of Solitary Islands Way will also open to all motorists, and the shared path will open to pedestrians and cyclists.
The new facility includes:
- Public parking spaces
- A dedicated kiss-and-ride drop-off zone
- Accessible parking
- Capacity for up to eight buses
The new bus interchange has been designed to improve local access and safety for the community. Watch the animation below to learn how the bus interchange will operate permanently.
Korora Bus Interchange
Coffs Harbour bypass photobook July 2026
In our latest photobook, you’ll notice the project is reaching an exciting turning point shifting from heavy earthwork to asphalt and onto the finishing touches that bring everything to life. Across the site, progress is now defined by the details. Noise walls are rising, plants are growing, and fauna furniture is being installed to help animals cross over or under the highway safely. All the tunnel buildings are now in place, marking a significant milestone for the project. Barriers, guard rail and streetlighting make it all feel a little more real and our tunnels are eagerly awaiting a mock rock face lift. We’re slowly moving from construction to completion and revealing the final shape of what’s to come.
View the Coffs Harbour bypass photobook July 2026 (PDF 6.19MB).
Existing highway to be renamed Solitary Islands Way
Because the new bypass route will become the Pacific Highway, the existing highway through Coffs Harbour needs to be renamed.
Following community consultation, the new name for the existing Pacific Highway through Coffs Harbour has been confirmed as Solitary Islands Way.
As part of this change, some properties on Solitary Islands Way between Dirty Creek and Boambee will require address renumbering to align with the new road naming and addressing system.
Affected residents will be contacted directly and provided with information and support throughout the transition.
For more information about the road renaming process, including property address changes and frequently asked questions, please read our FAQ document (PDF 249.16KB).
Future traffic changes – last updated June 2026
The Coffs Harbour bypass – between the Englands Road Interchange and the Korora Interchange – is on track to open to traffic at the end of 2026.
To achieve this, the project team has made, and will continue to make, several traffic changes this year. This will allow us to keep motorists moving while we safely build other parts of the bypass.
Coffs Harbour bypass - temporary turning restrictions
The project team has already temporarily restricted turning arrangement at local road intersections with the Pacific Highway in several locations. To continue safely building the bypass, we will be implementing further temporary turning restrictions. Exact dates for these being implemented with be advertised on electronic sign boards along the respective roads.
Temporary closure - Charlesworth Bay Road intersection with the Pacific Highway
July 2026
As part of the Coffs Harbour bypass, the Charlesworth Bay Road intersection with the Pacific Highway will be temporarily closed for 4 – 6 weeks (weather dependent) from Monday 13 July 2026.
Closing the intersection allows the project team to accelerate the construction program and finish the intersection before the end of the year, reducing the scope for night works and construction required in 2027.
A detour is available via Diggers Beach Road, opposite the Big Banana. An alternate detour is available via the Arthur Street roundabout near Park Beach Plaza. Motorists should allow extra travel time to reach their destination.
Once the intersection is reopened, it will remain left in left out only for a short period before right turns are reinstated. While traffic lights will be installed as part of this work, they will not be activated until after the bypass opens.
Coramba Road and Roselands Drive
To enable the team to build a shared path along Coramba Road, west of Roselands Drive, we will implement a temporary no right turn restriction at this intersection. Detours will be via the Coramba Road Interchange and the roundabout at the intersection of Shephards Lane. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained to the current level.
This will be in place for about four months.
Coffs Harbour bypass – south traffic switch
The intersection of the highway and Englands Road/Stadium Drive has been moved to a new temporary roundabout slightly west of the current location. This allows us to build traffic lights at the existing roundabout location. Access arrangements will be similar with the only change being left lanes into the roundabout from Englands Road and Stadium Drive will be left turn only.
Coffs Harbour Bypass – south traffic switch
Coffs Harbour Bypass – Korora traffic switch
James Small Drive (south) traffic has been moved slightly south of its current location. This allows us to continue building the eastern roundabout of the Korora Interchange. Access arrangements will remain the same.
The eastern roundabout of the Korora Interchange will open soon. This will include the left turn onto the southbound ramp onto the Pacific Highway to go to. Coffs Harbour. The temporary u-turn bay north of the interchange will close. For Bruxner Park Road motorists and cylists, access to Coffs Harbour and Sapphire will be via the Korora Hill Interchange.
At this time, the James Small Drive (north) intersection with the highway will be temporarily closed and a cul-de-sac will be built to facilitate a u-turn for local traffic. All access will be via the James Small Drive (south) and the Korora Interchange. This arrangement will be in place until mid-2027 while we build the permanent roundabout connecting James Small Drive (north) to Solitary Islands Way.
Coffs Harbour Bypass - Korora traffic switch
The new bus interchange in Korora and the section of Solitary Islands Way between the bus interchange and the Korora Hill Interchange will open later in 2026. The temporary bus bays on the eastern and western carriageways will be removed, and all bus movements will be via the new bus interchange, which will include public parking spaces.
Dates for these traffic changes will be advised on electronic message signs in the relevant areas. You can also sign up to receive weekly email updates.
Bridge building video series
The Coffs Harbour bypass is building 21 bridges which will provide better access for the community, including pedestrians and cyclists, and better outcomes for fauna connectivity and flood resilience in the region.
In this three-part video series, we explain how we design and build our bridges and shine a light on our longest bridge over the North Coast Railway line. For more information you can also read our fact sheet.
Bridge design with Project Manager, Brett
Bridge construction with Project Manager, Tom
Spotlight on the new bridge over the North Coast Railway line with Senior Project Engineer, James
Latest plans
Final Place Design and Landscape Plan now available
The Coffs Harbour bypass has released the final Place Design and Landscape Plan detailing the completed bypass's urban, architectural, and landscape design proposals.
Read them here:
- Chapters 1-3 (PDF 8.18MB)
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6 (PDF 7.5MB)
- Chapters 7-9 (PDF 5.95MB)
Community consultation on the draft plan occurred in December 2023. A Consultation Summary Report has been prepared to summarise and respond to the feedback received. Thank you to everyone who submitted.
Manage your journey
We understand traffic changes are disruptive for road users and appreciate your patience during the construction of the Coffs Harbour bypass.
Conditions are continuing to change in the area, so we are asking motorists to please ACT:
- Be Aware: Keep up to date with the project and the latest traffic changes.
- Be Cautious: Follow signage, drive to the conditions, and follow the direction of traffic control.
- Allow more Time: Access arrangements will continue to change. Plan for minor delays and be patient on the road.
Please subscribe to our email list to keep informed about traffic changes and help you plan your journey.
Resources
You can access key resources for the Coffs Harbour bypass that provide detailed information on our construction activities and procedures. This includes construction updates, factsheets, environment reports, and other supporting documents.
Each of them has been produced to help inform how we are building the bypass with safety, environment, and community in mind.
Resource library
About the Coffs Harbour bypass
The 14km Coffs Harbour bypass will take vehicles west of the urban area, from Englands Road in the south to Sapphire in the north.
The project is part of the Pacific Highway upgrade, funded by the Australian and NSW governments.
For more information and documentation for the approvals of the Coffs Harbour bypass visit the NSW Planning Portal.
The existing highway through Coffs Harbour forms part of the Sydney - Brisbane freight corridor and carries between 30,000 and 35,000 vehicles per day (2016).
Road users need to navigate a 12km low speed arterial road with 12 sets of traffic signals, a major roundabout and 26 other intersections. This means the area experiences:
- A motorist, cyclist and pedestrian casualty rate more than three times higher than expected of a road of this class.
- Increased travel time and inefficient on-road freight operation.
- Loss of economic development opportunities.
- A decrease in the amenity of Coffs Harbour CBD.
By providing a bypass of Coffs Harbour consistent with the current standards of the Pacific Highway upgrade program, the project addresses declining transport efficiency, urban congestion and road safety issues.
It will support regional development and provide:
- Safer, more consistent and reliable travel.
- Reduced travel times with improved freight transport efficiency to better. access towns and villages on the north coast.
- Improved amenity for local communities.
- A more reliable route with improved flood tolerance.
View a larger version (PDF 3.98MB) of the map.
A static map of the Coffs Harbour Bypass. The Bypass starts at the bottom left of the map in Boambee, and continues north through North Boambee Valley and Red Hill. It then heads north-east through Korora, Korora Basin, then concludes at Sapphire Beach at the top right of the map. You can view further information such as articles/resources on project updates, work notifications, Environment and community information on the resources page.
Gallery
Coffs Harbour bypass project contact
For further information about this project, contact or visit us at:
Email: community@CHBteam.com.au
Phone: 1800 550 621
Mail: P.O. Box 565, Toormina, NSW 2452