The Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) is soon to release the concept design of the proposed Newell Highway bypass at Parkes to the public.
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Parkes businesses were among the first to see the design and some new additions to the proposed route, following a series of community consultations and planning sessions the RMS has held over the last two years.
RMS representatives met with businesses to update them on the proposed bypass during a Parkes Chamber of Commerce meeting on November 14.
The route – which will begin at Barkers Road, south of Parkes and will re-join the existing highway near Maguire Road, north of the town – now features two new bridges, a nine metre high bridge over Hartigan Avenue near Brolgan Road and rail lines, and a footbridge at Back Trundle Road.
The footbridge will allow cyclists and pedestrians to access the town’s far west and the Parkes Christian School.
Another new addition since the RMS spoke with the community and businesses is a four-way roundabout with a 90 metre diameter at the Henry Parkes Way, Condobolin Road and Westlime Road intersection.
London Road will become the entry into Parkes’ industrial area from the new highway.
The RMS representative said there are plans for beautification works and digital signage, advertising Parkes to passing motorists.
“[This will be] particularly at the southern tie [of the bypass] and at the roundabout,” he said.
“The signage will be digital screens to attract and remind people Parkes is here, and tell them what’s on in Parkes.”
The new route will be 10.5 kilometres long, with 70 per cent of the highway at 110km/h speed limits at the northern and southern ends.
The remaining 30 per cent of the road will be signposted at 80km/h from London Road to the new roundabout.
The representative told businesses one of the reasons for a bypass is because 26 metre B-doubles and 36.5 metre road trains cannot fit through a number of intersections on the existing Newell Highway at Parkes.
There were also noise and safety concerns for homes and motorists along the highway.
The RMS is looking work with the Inland Rail project in regards to the bypass.
“There are currently three railway crossings, at Hartigan Avenue, Welcome Road and at Tichborne,” the representative said.
“The bypass will eliminate two crossings.
“There are 28 crossings activated a day which amounts to 70 minutes of stopping time every day.
“The challenge is maintaining freight traffic and getting freight traffic out of the centre of town.”
The representative said the benefits of the bypass include reduced travel time by 10 minutes for traffic using the bypass, improved traffic flow through Parkes, increased access for heavy vehicles and road trains, and improved amenity and safety for motorists.
He also said that after conducting a survey, the RMS found that 105 businesses will potentially be impacted.
“We expect the bypass will have minor impact. Because it’s a town away from any major centre, people will stop anyway,” he said.
“The RMS predicts a boom [in business] at the start with construction jobs, then a drop when it opens… [And we expect] it to be back to normal after a few years.”
The concept design is expected to go out to the public within weeks.
Drop-in community sessions with RMS representatives have been planned as well, along with non-manned displays.
Early works on the bypass are expected to begin in December 2019, with construction starting in February 2020 and the new road opening in May 2023.
The NSW Government is providing $6 million for planning for the potential Newell Highway upgrade at Parkes. This work is part of the $500 million Newell Highway upgrade program.
The state government has allocated $2.4 million for the planning of the Parkes bypass in its 2018-2019 budget.