Motorists on the New England Highway are about to benefit from safer and smoother journeys with the start of improvement work about nine kilometres north of Armidale.
This $9.6 million project is being delivered as part of the Australian Government's Road Safety Program, with the Australian and New South Wales governments each committing $4.8 million.
Both the Australian and NSW governments have committed $518.3 million under the Road Safety Program across 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, to deliver road safety treatments throughout NSW.
Safety features on this project include extending the length of the existing southbound overtaking lanes by about 350 metres, widening the highway to provide two 3.5-metre-wide travel lanes, wide centreline treatment and two 1.5-metre-wide sealed shoulders.
A wide centreline treatment increases the separation distance between oncoming vehicles, reducing the risk of head-on collisions.
The intersection with Puddledock Road will be upgraded to allow a separate right turn into Puddledock Road, improving the efficiency and safety of the intersection.
Work will also involve strengthening and repairing the existing road sealing, new line markings, road safety barriers and raised road markers, improving and extending drainage, and maintenance of roadside signage.
The projected completion date is the end of March 2026.
