Berry Bypass in the Shoalhaven area

This case study demonstrates design principle six from the Beyond the Pavement urban design guide: Connecting to Country and Incorporating heritage and cultural contexts.

Berry Bypass in the Shoalhaven area

Berry is a charming, intact, irreplaceable historic rural town in the Shoalhaven region of the NSW south coast with a resident town population of some 2,600. The town was being increasingly affected by traffic on the Princes Highway through Queen Street (1).

This was having a detrimental impact not only on the main street but the overall character, functioning and attractiveness of the town as a whole. In order to improve safety, travel times and keep the heritage quality of Berry as intact as possible, it was decided to build a bypass route for the through traffic (2).

The bypass has been designed to fit in with the edges of the town providing interchanges at either end of Queen Street (3). A planted noise mound provided a rural outlook for the town while effectively blocking noise. Identification and protection of Aboriginal heritage and sites of cultural value featured strongly in this project.

The project incorporated a planted mound which blocked noise from the bypass but also continued the views of greenery and vegetation rather than imposing a wall in this pastoral setting.

Berry Bypass alleviated the traffic pressures on the town. It provided a high speed attractive bypass and experience of the south coast NSW landscape and a quieter town centre with people able to easily cross the road and enjoy themselves in a stress free uncluttered environment. This work has ultimately protected the heritage and cultural qualities of this important country town and improved the tourism experience.