Road Photos & Information: New South Wales
Statistics:
- Length: 170 km
- Eastern Terminus: Pacific Hwy (A1) at Raleigh
- Western Terminus: New England Hwy (A15) at Armidale
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Raleigh, Bellingen, Dorrigo, Ebor, Wollomombi and Armidale
Route Numbering:
- Current: B78
- Former:
- Multiplexes:
- Road Authority Internal Classification: MR76 1
General Information:
The Waterfall Way is an important route connecting the NSW seaboard and Coffs Harbour district with the coastal hinterland of the Bellingen area, the tablelands of Dorrigo, Armidale and the New England part of the state.
The route is generally rural highway standard, and passes through residential and commercial areas, plus forests and farmland, and also part of the road traverses the Dorrigo Mountain and is quite windy for several kilometres. The section of the route between Armidale CBD and the New England Hwy (Kentucky Rd), used to form part of the New England Hwy (NH15), prior to the opening of the Armidale Bypass, west of the city.
Multiplexes along the route include:
- Tourist Drive 17, for 77 km, between Ebor and Armidale
- Tourist Drive 18, for 5 km, at Armidale
History:
- 1938: Both St Helena Creek and Four Mile Creek bridges constructed in concrete. 2
- 2010: Replacement of St Helena Creek and Four Mile Creek bridges between Armidale and Dorrigo. 3
- May 2010: Safety improvements along a 1.1km section of Waterfall Way at Marx Hill. 4
- December 2010: Repairs to two landslip sites west of Sherrard Falls. Work included installation of retaining walls constructed of concrete piles and held in place by anchors drilled into the rock. 5
- April 2011: Completion of culverts and repairs to landslip damage at Gordonville Cutting. Also widening of the route 40km east of Armidale near Achill Station and near Smiths Lane, 2km west of Dorrigo. 5
- 2012: Repair work on two landslides near the Newell Falls. 6 Reconstruction of a 3km section of the Waterfall Way east of Smiths Lane, 2km west of Dorrigo. This work provided a new road surface featuring wider lanes and sealed shoulders. 7
- 2013: The road through Fernmount village was resurfaced and replacement of deteriorated metal culverts with a bridge at Burdett Park completed. Completion of drainage work in the cutting near the Trout Hatchery, west of Ebor. 6
- May 2013: Major work to reconstruct a one-kilometre section of Waterfall Way, east of Dorrigo was finished. The improvements involved rebuilding the road from south of Rocky Creek Road to south of Dome Road. The entrance to the local cemetery was relocated 150 metres north towards Dorrigo due to safety reasons. This work included a new entrance to the cemetery. 6
- March 2014: Work begins to improve drainage under the embankment at Myers Bluff, west of Bellingen. 8
- May 2014: Work started on improvements to a section of Waterfall Way, near Silverton Road, Armidale. 9
- November 2014: Work to repair a landslip east of Dorrigo, at Weeping Jenny site was completed. 10
- 2015: Work at Myers Bluff and Gordonville Cutting to repair damaged road shoulders. Completion of installing new road signs at Fernmount. The work included additional speed limit repeater signs, intersection and warning signs. Additional line marking work completed adjacent to the Thora Store to improve road safety. 10
- March 2015: Work to improve the condition of a 300 metre section of road near Little North Arm Road, 16 kilometres west of Bellingen started. 10
- May 2015: Work commences on widening the road and drainage improvements between Connells Creek and East Fernmount. 11
- June 2015: Slope stablisation works and repairs to drainage and kerb on Waterfall Way between Summervilles Road and Maynards Plain Road. 12
- 13 November 2017: Slope stabilisation work on Waterfall Way at Crystal Falls. Work included building a retaining wall below Waterfall Way at Crystal Falls and reinstalling safety barriers on the eastbound lane of Waterfall Way. 13
- 4 December 2017: Work begins on pavement reconstruction and shoulder widening along the Waterfall Way in the vicinity of Raleigh Dam. 14
- March 2019: Work begins on slope stablilisation work which also included reinstalling guardrail, pavement rehabilitation and line-marking. 15
- 25 March 2019: Work starts on rehabilitation and widening works on Waterfall Way, east of Crown Street to Fullers Fruit Store, East Bellingen. 16
- June 2019: Work commenced on rebuilding a 800 metre section of road, about 6 kilometres east of Bellingen. 15 The upgrade includes widening of shoulders and improved surface. 17
- 2020: Work on rebuilding and widening the shoulders on an 800 metre section of road about six kilometres east of Bellingen, safety improvements at Hamels Hill, 20 kilometres east of Armidale, realignment and widening the road pavement near the intersection with Dome Road, east of Dorrigo, reconstruction and realignment of the road at the Crystal Falls culvert on the Dorrigo Mountain, and slope stability improvements about 10 kilometres east of Dorrigo. 18
- October 2020: Completion of roundabout at the corner of Waterfall Way and Hickory St in Dorrigo. Work included retaining the war memorial, installation of a roundabout plus pavement works and street furnishings. 19
- 8 February 2021: Work commenced on a one kilometre section of Waterfall Way near Little North Arm Road about 4.5 kilometres west of Thora. The work involved widening and replacing the pavement, widening the road shoulders, improving road geometry, upgrading safety barriers in each direction and enhancing line marking. 20
- 15 April 2021: Work started on safety improvements on a four kilometre section of Waterfall Way west of Bellingen, involving road widening, changes to road geometry and enhanced line marking. The project also included the removal of trees that presented a roadside hazard or were a barrier to road widening. 21
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Marsh St (TD17) in Armidale approaching Waterfall Way (B78), April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Bellingen, September 2016.
Image © Michael Greenslade |
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Intersection Directional Signs:
ID signs facing Marsh St (TD17) in Armidale, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Newell Falls:
Waterfall Way as it passes Newell Falls at Dorrigo, September 2016.
Image © Michael Greenslade |
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Myrtle Street:
Corner of Waterfall Way (B78) and Myrtle St, Dorrigo, September 2016.
Image © Michael Greenslade |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Dorrigo, approaching Tyringham Rd, September 2016.
Image © Michael Greenslade |
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Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Dorrigo, September 2016.
Image © Michael Greenslade |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Armidale approaching Barney St and Dangar St, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign on the roundabout with Barney St and Dangar St, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign on the roundabout with Barney St and Dangar St, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:
Supplemental AD sign at Armidale approaching Kentucky St (TD19), April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Armidale approaching Kentucky St (TD19), April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at the junction with Lamb Rd and O'Connor Rd at Armidale, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at the junction with Lamb Rd and O'Connor Rd at Armidale, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Armidale approaching Galloway St and Miller St, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Galloway Street & Miller Street:
Corner of Waterfall Way (B78), Galloway St and Miller St, Armidale, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Armidale, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Armidale approaching New England Hwy (A15), April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
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End B78:
End B78 trailblazer approaching the junction with New England Hwy (A15), April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands |
1 Roads & Maritime Services, Schedule of Classified Roadsand Unclassified Regional Roads, January 2014
2 Roads & Maritime Services, MR76 Waterfall Way St Helena - Four Mile Creeks upgrade : environmental overview, March 2006
3 Roads & Traffic Authority, Community Update, February 2010
4 Roads & Traffic Authority, Community Update, July 2010
5 Roads & Traffic Authority, Community Update, Waterfall Way works program 2011, April 2011
6 Roads & Maritime Services, Waterfall Way work program 2013 update, December 2013
7 Roads & Maritime Services, Waterfall Way works program 2012 update, March 2012
8 Roads & Maritime Services, Waterfall Way safety review and program update, March 2014
9 Roads & Maritime Services, Media releases, Work on $500k Waterfall Way project begins Monday, 15 May 2014
10 Roads & Maritime Services, Waterfall Way Community Update, March 2015
11 Roads & Maritime Services, Road improvement work Waterfall Way, April 2015
12 Roads & Maritime Services, Night Closure Waterfall Way, June 2015
13 Roads & Maritime Services, Media Release, Slope stabilisation work on Waterfall Way at Crystal Falls from Monday 13 November, November 2017
14 Bellingen Shire Council, News, Road Reconstruction Works on Waterfall Way Raleigh
15 Bellingen Shire Council, Weekly Works Schedule, accessed 29 June 2019
16 Belligen Shire Council, News, Crown St Rehabilitation & Widening of Waterfall Way East Bellingen
17 Bellingen Shire Council, News, RMS Road Rebuilding and Widening Road Shoulders on Waterfall Way - 6km east of Bellingen, 27 May 2019
18 Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Waterfall Way improvement program, Community update, March 2020
19 Bellingen Shire Council, Projects @ Belloshire brochure
20 Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Safety improvements on Waterfall Way west of Thora from 8 February. February 2021
21 Roads and Martime Services, Media Release, Safety improvements on Waterfall Way west of Bellingen starting Thursday, 15 April. April 2021
Last updated: 17-Oct-2021 21:32
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