Staggered road closure, Houston Mitchell Drive

Houston Mitchell Drive will be closed to traffic for brief periods on May 27 and 28 to ensure the safety of the public during timber harvesting in the adjacent Cowarra State Forest.

State Forest mid north coast region harvesting forester, Andrew McCurdy, said the temporary closure of the road would delay traffic for five to ten minutes on those days.

Houston Mitchell Drive will be closed for approximately one kilometre from the junction with the Pacific Highway.

“The road needs to be closed while timber harvesting is occurring within two tree lengths of the road,” Mr McCurdy said. “We will have professional road traffic personnel on the job to ensure the short closures run a smoothly as possible.”

Houston Mitchell Drive provides access to Bonny Hills and Lake Cathie. Alternative routes include Ocean Drive via North Haven.

Mr McCurdy said the timber harvested from Cowarra State Forest would be processed by Australian Solar Timbers, Koppers and Boral into products including telegraph poles, flooring and construction timbers.

Public enquiries regarding the closures should be directed to State Forests’ office in Taree on Ph: 6551 0074.

Media contact: Andrew McCurdy on (02) 6551 0074.