Safer journeys for all motorists moving through Maitland are on their way with work starting on a $1.9 million upgrade to Tocal Road at Bolwarra Heights.
Jointly funded by the NSW Government's Restart NSW Fixing Country Roads Program and Maitland City Council, work will occur between Maitland Vale Road and Lang Drive and include new drainage and pavement reconstruction to make the road safer for all road users, including heavy vehicles.
The project will involve resurfacing and widening 2 sections of Tocal Road to have wider 3.5 metre travel lanes in each direction, with a section of the road to be realigned to improve sight distance and safety.
The project will be delivered by Maitland City Council, with the council contributing $997,800 to the project and the NSW Government contributing $915,000.
This is part of the NSW Labor Government's ongoing commitment to ensure regional communities have essential road infrastructure to allow them to pursue economic development, opportunities and jobs.
NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads and Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison said:
"It's fantastic to see this project starting construction. Upgrading Tocal Road will improve the connectivity and safety for journeys between regional centres of Maitland and Dungog especially for heavy vehicles.
"The Maitland area services a variety of industries from agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing, transport and construction, which will benefit from this upgrade. I congratulate council for getting this important work underway.
"Tocal Road is an essential freight route and this project will improve access for larger trucks. As these vehicles can carry more freight more safely, in fewer trips, the project will lead to more efficient journeys and less heavy vehicles on our roads."
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:
"Hunter locals and visitors need to get from Maitland to Dungog and everywhere in between.
"Widening Tocal Road means a quicker, more reliable journey for freight and more drivers getting around the Hunter in safety."
NSW Duty MLC for Upper Hunter Emily Suvaal said:
"The upgrade of Tocal Road will improve the connectivity and safety of transport across the regional centres of Maitland and Dungog and improve access for trucks transporting the produce, goods and materials that we rely on every day.
"I'm so pleased to see work starting on this project, it's a great example of how the NSW Government is partnering with regional councils to prioritise upgrades to regional roads and improve journeys for our communities."
Maitland City Council Mayor Philip Penfold said:
"This investment will significantly improve Tocal Road for the people of Bolwarra Heights and surrounding communities.
"Maitland is the fastest growing regional city in NSW and we're investing in our road network so we can deliver for our community, now and into the future."
Road works started in early April 2024 and are expected to take six months to complete, weather permitting.
