The Macleay Valley Way is a road in the
Mid North Coast
The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region, situated 416km north of Sydney, covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens at Hawks Nest to as far ...
region of
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
that connects the
Pacific Highway to and . It runs along a former section of the Pacific Highway that was bypassed by a newer alignment between 2013 and 2016.
Route description
The Macleay Valley Way branches from the Pacific Highway at the Kempsey South Service Centre. It follows the former Pacific Highway alignment. Instead of bypassing population centres, the Macleay Valley Way passes through the towns of
Kempsey and
Frederickton.
History
Macleay Valley Way became the secondary road in two stages, as the new Pacific Highway was opened in two stages. The southern part of the new road is east of the old road which is now Macleay Valley Way through Kempsey.
The northern part is west of the Macleay Valley Way. The new bridge over the
Macleay River
The Macleay River is a river that spans the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River ...
and bypass of Kempsey and Frederickton was opened first, on 27 March 2013.
[
The section north of Frederickton opened on 16 May 2016.]Kempsey bus crash
The Kempsey bus crash killed 35 people and injured 41 on the Pacific Highway near Kempsey, New South Wales on 22 December 1989 when a McCafferty's Coaches coach operating an express service from Brisbane to Sydney collided head on with a Tra ...
which occurred in the locality of Clybucca in 1989 when two loaded tour buses collided head-on.
Major junction list
See also
* Big River Way – bypassed section of Pacific Highway and the site of the Grafton bus crash
* Giinagay Way – bypassed section of Pacific Highway at Nambucca Heads
Nambucca Heads is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Nambucca Valley. It is located on a ridge, north of the estuary of the Nambucca River near the Pacific Highway. Its population at the was 6,668 (6,314 in t ...
and Urunga
References
{{Road infrastructure in regional New South Wales
Roads in New South Wales