This section of the highway, stretching 9km from Bellwood to Valla Beach Road, is the result of two deviations constructed back-to-back by the Department of Main Roads in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is currently single-carriageway, with limited-access conditions and several overtaking lanes, bypassing the large town of Nambucca Heads and the tiny village of Valla.
As early as the 1930s, consideration was given to bypassing Nambucca Heads. At that time, a line was selected along the Old Coast Rd, leaving the existing highway near Newee Creek and passing along a high ridge to the west of Nambucca Heads. However, it was decided to construct shorter deviations to permit better use of the limited funds available and the route was abandoned.
During the late 1950s a bypass of Nambucca Heads was considered again, and this time a line was selected passing just west of the current bypass and was designed to the standard of the time (50 miles per hour). However, by the time construction was pending the design standard had been raised to 60 miles per hour and thus the current line was selected and adopted in 1976. The project was named the Bellwood Deviation.
The Department of Main Roads, in its journal Main Roads, describes the deviation thus: “The deviation leaves the existing highway on the southern outskirts of Nambucca Heads at Bellwood Creek, skirts a swamp area on the side of a ridge and passes through a saddle at Bowraville Rd (the Old Coast Rd). It crosses the Main North Coast Railway Line by means of an overbridge and continues through a saddle at Gordons Knob Rd. After completion of the deviation both the railway level crossing and Gordons Knob Rd were closed to traffic.”
The old route of the highway - today’s Riverside Drive, Nelson St, Fraser St, Bowra St, Mann St, Railway Rd and Foxs Rd - passed through the commercial centre of Nambucca Heads, had steep grades, was poorly aligned and very narrow along much of its length. Furthermore, the deviation eliminated a poorly aligned timber bridge over Bellwood Creek, long lengths of badly deteriorated pavement, a level crossing on a poor alignment, a timber bridge over Boggy Creek and a narrow culvert over Cedar Creek. It is safe to say that the deviation was a godsend for motorists. The State Government still provides funding to Nambucca Shire Council for the Old Pacific Highway though Nambucca Heads mainly due to these issues. The road is thus classed as a Regional Road.
Construction was commenced in mid 1978 and was completed in time for Christmas 1980 - officially opening on the 12th of December. The 5.3km deviation shortened the route of the Pacific Highway by 2.5km at a cost of $5.4 million.
Cache is a micro
Hope you enjoy some of the scenery on this trail.