Major work has officially started on the Parkes Bypass, with the $187.2 million project set to deliver upgrades to a 10.5-kilometre section of the highway to allow traffic and heavy vehicles to bypass the town of Parkes, in New South Wales.
The bypass is part of the $500 million Newell Highway upgrade program to support the interstate freight industry.
The upgrade involves relocating the highway about two kilometres west, between Maguire Road to the north and Barkers Road to the south – a total length of 10.5 kilometres.
The project is expected to reduce congestion and increase safety for local motorists by removing 1200 heavy vehicles and other traffic from the main town centre every day.
It will also improve the efficiency and productivity of freight in the area.
Georgiou Group has been tasked with managing the three-year construction of the bypass, which will support 350 local jobs.
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the bypass marked the latest project rolling out along the Newell Highway as part of a record investment to deliver improved safety, boost freight productivity and reduce travel times between the Victorian and Queensland borders.
“We’ve just hit the halfway mark of our $228 million commitment to build 40 overtaking lanes along the Newell Highway and the Parkes bypass will further support the regional freight task in NSW, which is expected to increase by 12 per cent to 286 million tonnes moving across our road network by 2036,” Toole said.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Sam Farraway said this work would provide the town with a considerable economic benefit.
“In addition to a 10.5-kilometre western bypass of Parkes, work will involve bridges over existing railway lines and connections to the Parkes Special Activation Precinct to leverage the Inland Rail project and the existing freight logistics hub,” Farraway said.
“Work to adjust or upgrade connections to local roads has been under way since January.”
The bypass is expected to be opened to traffic in 2024.
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- Related stories:
- Contract awarded for Newell Highway’s $187.2M Parkes Bypass
- Upgrades on key section of Inland Rail in NSW now complete
- Applications open for next round of bridge upgrades in NSW
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