Safety upgrades complete for Kamilaroi Highway

Works on a $34.6 million project to increase the safety of the Kamilaroi Highway in north-west New South Wales are now complete.

These works comprised of the installation of flexible barriers, wide centre lines, audio tactile line marking and other safety devices to prevent road run offs, as well as head on crashes.

As a result of an extensive community consultation process, it was identified that there is a need for the inclusion of overtaking lanes to compensate for lack of overtaking opportunities.

Other safety measures incorporated into the project include designated school bus stopping and turning bay near the Turrawan Road intersection, 2.5-metre-wide sealed shoulders providing more room for vehicles, widened roadside clear zones, raised retroflective pavement markers and flatter roadside batters (or slopes).

Works on the section began in 2019 between Narrabi and Gunnedah due to the crash history of the connection. These works formed part of the Saving Lives on Country Roads program.

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Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said the safety installations will more greatly protect drivers from potential head on collisions.

“Between July 2012 and October 2019 there were 18 crashes recorded in this area, including four fatal crashes, seven serious injury crashes and four moderate injury crashes,” Aitchison said.

“A high proportion of these crashes were the result of vehicles crossing the centre lines and safety improvements such as these can increase the distance between oncoming traffic and alert drivers when they leave their lane.

Work crews have laid 422,589 tonnes of locally sourced crushed gravel and aggregate to build and seal the full length of highway and installed. 52 different contractors and suppliers, along with 160 local workers were involved in the project.