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Bypass open at long last Gold Coast Bulletin | 6 June 2008 by Andrew MacDonald
THE wait is finally over. At 2pm yesterday, the southbound lanes of the $543 million Tugun Bypass finally opened to the public.
But it was not the immediate fix to the region's traffic problems as northbound lanes of the muchanticipated road remained closed for about an hour and 15 minutes after the the first vehicles emerged from the bypass at Tweed Heads.
Lane closures southbound on the M1 at Currumbin also caused traffic to bank up to Elanora as Main Roads Queensland finished lane painting work around the entrance to the bypass after southbound lanes were opened.
The bypass was to open to traffic on Monday but wet weather delayed crucial lane marking paintwork.
With no guarantees the bypass would open to traffic yesterday, work crews could be seen from the early morning using heat tools try to dry the roads for lane painting.
At 2pm, Main Roads vehicles blocking the southbound lanes of the motorway drove off, letting the first public vehicle, a semi-trailer, on to the bypass.
The effect of the opening could be seen at Tugun almost immediately as traffic on the old road began to ease.
A drive south on the bypass meant a travel time of about five minutes be tween Currumbin and Tweed Heads.
But it was a different story for the bypass's northbound Janes, which were not open until 3.l5pm.
A Main Roads spokeswoman said the opening of the bypass was always planned to be staggered as line painting work for the southbound lanes was more involved.
She said workers wanted to finish markings on the southbound lanes before completing work on the northbound section of the bypass.
Main Roads project director Trevor Los said the opening of the muchanticipated bypass was a relief.
''It's been a trying and long day but there's certainly traffic running," he said. "It's been a long project getting to this stage and a long project in the gestation stage and a long project in the construction stage.
"We're finally there."
At Currumbin, resident Kai Foster shared Mr Los's relief.
"It's been a long road but it's finally here," he said. "It is a good result because we had to fight quite hard to get it done.
"Hopefully it makes a difference."
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