Background

In February 2019, a roll out of Bypassed Town signs across the state was announced.

The first stage of the initiative will be rolled out along the Princes and Pacific highways, including:

• Pacific Highway – Ballina, Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads, Bangalow, Woodburn/Broadwater/Wardell, Maclean, Grafton, Woolgoolga, Urunga, Nambucca Heads, Kempsey/Frederickton, Port Macquarie, Taree, Bulahdelah, Karuah
• Princes Highway – Gerringong, Kiama, Shellharbour, Bega, Albion Park.

Towns like Scone, Albion Park Rail, Grafton, Woodburn and Broadwater that are soon to be bypassed will also be eligible.

The Bypassed Town signs will form part of the NSW wayfinding signage and can be included as part of the directional signage strategy for future bypass projects.

A pilot program was held between late 2017 and early 2018 to determine whether bypassed town visitation could be maintained through innovative and purpose-designed signage.

In consultation with Destination NSW, Transport for NSW created and installed Bypassed Town signage to promote the following communities:

• Berry off the Princes Highway in south coast NSW
• Holbrook off the Hume Highway in south west NSW
• Macksville off the Pacific Highway in north coast NSW

Based on the trial’s success, the decision was made to roll out the initiative to other bypassed towns across NSW.

The results of the Bypassed Town signage trial can be found in the June 2018 evaluation report.

Benefits and features

The Bypassed Town signs are the largest NSW directional signs manufactured for tourism. The signs aim to help towns and regional areas drive economic activity once a highway bypass opens to traffic.

These signs will be positioned close to intersections on state roads and use coloured images to promote the bypassed town and entice road users to explore the local community. The image shown must be of the town or represent the area’s tourism or cultural heritage.

The images are reflective to ensure they are visible to travellers at night. The signage also displays service symbols to highlight available services and facilities to assist travellers on their journeys and encourage rest breaks.

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