The $275 million Nelson Bay Road upgrade in New South Wales has reached a new milestone, with contract awarded to Daracon Contractors for a one-kilometre section from Salt Ash to Bobs Farm.
This Section 1 upgrade is the next priority of work on Nelson Bay Road and is being fast tracked with a funding of $26 million from the NSW Government.
The proposal would be constructed within the existing road boundary and would involve construction of about one kilometre of dual carriageway, 900 metres east of Marsh Road at Salt Ash to 1.9 kilometres east of Marsh Road at Bobs Farm.
The NSW Government has committed $275 million since 2013 to duplicate Nelson Bay Road from Williamtown to Bobs Farm to help improve safety, travel times and traffic flow for the 25,000 motorists who use this busy route each day.
“Nelson Bay Road provides a major connection for Nelson Bay with Newcastle and the work we’re doing will make it easier, safer and faster for locals and visitors to get around,” NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said.
“We’ve already completed the Bobs Farm to Anna Bay section in 2015, the upgrade of the Medowie Road intersection was completed in 2019 and the Lemon Tree Passage Road intersection upgrade was completed in mid-2020.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said the award of tender for the next stage of the upgrade put the project on track to start later this year.
“This project is expected to boost the local economy by supporting about 100 jobs during its peak construction period, and is expected to take about 18 months to complete, weather permitting,” Mr Martin said.
Work includes building 3.5-metre travel lanes, 2.5-metre shoulders, a concrete median separation barrier, two connected retaining walls, utility relocations and fauna exclusion fencing.
Transport for NSW had sought comments from the community and stakeholders on three proposed route options for the project in November 2020 following initial consultation where the community suggested that Transport consider an alternative off-line route option.
Transport for NSW is currently preparing a preferred option report for the project, which is planned to be published later this year.
The construction of Section 1 would be expected to commence in 2022, subject to funding, and would take around 18 months to complete.
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