The preferred route for this project was announced in September 2006. Since then the Strategic Access Report and the Environmental Assessment have been released. During this process minor changes to the alignment included;

• A shift in the alignment of the highway to the east, south of Martins Lane West, to minimise disturbance to properties.
• Minor changes to local road system resulting from new interchanges at Ivy Lane and Bangalow Road.
• Minor alignment shifts along the Tinderbox Valley to facilitate access arrangements, provide a better creek crossing and reduce impacts on private property.
• Changes to the local access road arrangements between Martins Lane West and Ross Lane.
• Realignment of the old highway near the Emigrant Creek crossing to pass under the upgraded highway at the Emigrant Creek bridge.
• Minor realignments to reduce impact on land use, flora and fauna and other local features.

Following consideration of the submissions received in response to the environmental assessment two changes are proposed to the concept design to further reduce the environmental impacts of the proposed upgrade:

The refinements to the project include:

• Removing the Ivy Lane interchange and developing a tourist route strategy to help reduce the impact of the proposed upgrade on local businesses and villages between Tintenbar and Ewingsdale. This approach follows extensive community submissions on the issue as well as further evaluations of the Ivy Lane interchange.
• Building a landscape mound to help manage excess earthworks material between the existing highway and Clover Hill at Bangalow, this will also provide further noise reduction and act as a visual buffer between the upgraded highway and the Bangalow community.