City of Newcastle (CN) is moving ahead with a program of road and footpath upgrades across Newcastle's bustling western suburbs as the population in the area continues to grow.
More than $6 million is forecast to be invested in works this financial year that will repair and improve the surface of roadways, extend the life of the infrastructure and provide enhanced connections for pedestrians and cyclists.
This complements the large-scale infrastructure projects in the pipeline to benefit the region, including two dual-lane road upgrades at Longworth Avenue and Minmi Road, Wallsend, which are designed to reduce traffic congestion in the western corridor and are currently undergoing detailed design.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the works recognised the significant growth that was continuing to occur in the city's west, where populations had risen dramatically during the past decade.
"City of Newcastle is committed to meeting the needs of our city's growing population, which has increased by around 14 per cent during the past decade and is forecast to pass 200,000 residents by 2041," Cr Nelmes said.
"The western suburbs in particular have experienced strong population growth during the past decade, with the Maryland, Fletcher and Minmi area up by around 46 per cent and Wallsend and Shortland increasing by more than 20 per cent since the 2011 Census.
"We're committed to maintaining and enhancing the essential community infrastructure in these areas as part of our record $14.7 million investment into road resurfacing and rehabilitation projects across the city this financial year.
"CN's investment in capital works has been growing over the past five years as we continue to balance infrastructure renewal with revitalisation projects to meet our community's expectations that come with sustained growth."
Work is progressing on road reconstruction projects at Irrawang Street, Wallsend and Maryland Drive, Maryland, with the latter also including the replacement of a pedestrian refuge to provide safer access to the nearby Maryland Neighbourhood Centre.
Around 70 blocks across Fletcher, Maryland, and Wallsend will also have their road surfaces rejuvenated, while a project to rehabilitate a section of Awabakal Drive in Fletcher has recently been completed.
Residents in Fletcher will also benefit from a new 120m-long shared pathway that is currently under construction on Minmi Road to provide safer access to the nearby shops and businesses for pedestrians and cyclists.
Patching and strengthening works are scheduled for roads in Beresfield, Maryland, Jesmond and Wallsend with grant funding from the NSW Government's Regional and Local Roads Repair Program.
