Golden Highway focus of $1.7b roads fund

The Newcastle to Dubbo road network has been allocated $520.8 million of a $1.74 billion regional corridors upgrade program announced by state and federal governments. Upgrades to the Golden Highway, John Renshaw Drive and Hunter Expressway have been funded to strengthen the connection across the Great Dividing Range to the Central West, the governments' joint announcement said. Muswellbrook to Armidale, including key sections of the New England Highway, will get $849.8 million of the funding; and Euston to Tocumwal in the south-west a $375m share. This will include upgrades along the Newell Highway, as well as Sturt Highway and Kidman Way. The funding will deliver road, shoulder and intersection widening, turning lanes, new overtaking lanes and intelligent transport systems such as digital signage to update motorists on traffic conditions along the corridor and traffic monitoring cameras. New and improved rest stops, pull-over bays and heavy vehicle facilities will also form part of the upgrades, better supporting freight operators. Work on improvements between Newcastle and Dubbo has already begun, with new line marking and the installation of traffic management signage at town entry points being delivered along the Golden Highway at Dubbo, Dunedoo, Jerrys Plains, Denman and Sandy Hollow. NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said these would not be minor upgrades. “We’re building safer intersections, wider roads and shoulders, overtaking lanes, better rest areas, and heavy vehicle facilities - because regional drivers and freight operators deserve a road network that is fit for purpose," she said. Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King said the funding would ensure critical supply chains, from the Central West and southwest of NSW to our ports, remain resilient for decades to come. “Our export industries and freight operators are the backbone of the Australian economy, and they rely on safe and reliable roads, which is why we are investing $697 million in partnership with the Minns Government to deliver these major corridor upgrades," Minister King said. CALL FOR GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY VISION As traffic congestion made headlines on the Bathurst 1000 weekend, Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee criticised the government for its lack of vision on the Great Western Highway. Victoria Pass is closed - and has been since March - due to a defect in the road over Mitchell's Causeway. Work to reinstate the connection is under way, expected to reopen in the second quarter of 2027. "The Bathurst 1000 on the weekend was an outstanding success, but as we watched the long queues of cars struggling to get back over the sandstone curtain, we were once again reminded of the failure of successive governments to deliver a permanent high-speed connection to Sydney," Mr Gee said in parliament. "The Great Western Highway must urgently be designated a national infrastructure priority. "It must be backed by serious state and federal funding." He described the situation as a debacle and disgrace. "You cannot fix a major artery with a bandaid," Mr Gee said. "That’s what's currently happening with the patch-up job on the broken 1832 convict bridge." Transport announced its solution to reinstate the highway - building a new bridge structure to be supported on deep piles through the centre of the existing road structure - in June. These piles will extend down into stable bedrock beneath the existing structure to provide a strong and reliable foundation for the highway. Piling works continue on the Causeway, Transport said in a project update last Friday, and they have brought in a second contractor to speed up the program of repairs.