Construction has kicked off in Wallsend as City of Newcastle moves forward with dual lane upgrades to improve traffic flow along notorious bottlenecks on Minmi Road and Longworth Avenue.
The road widening project will enhance the journey for tens of thousands of residents, workers and school children travelling to and from the surrounding suburbs each day.
Cr Deahnna Richardson, Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley, Cr Elizabeth Adamczyk and Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge, with (rear) Daracon Project Manager Matthew Jensen, City of Newcastle Executive Manager Project Management Office Robert Dudgeon and Deputy Lord Mayor Callum Pull, visited Longworth Avenue, Wallsend today
Daracon has begun the in-ground works that will lay the foundation for the lane duplications, with the overall project expected to be completed by mid-next year.
Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge welcomed the significant milestone and thanked the NSW Government for its support of the critical upgrade, which received $7.61 million under the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund towards the $40 million project
"This project is unanimously supported by the elected Council and highly anticipated by the local community, who will benefit from reduced congestion, increased safety and more consistent travel times along this key route," Cr Kerridge said.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the multimillion-dollar upgrade in Newcastle's western growth corridor will provide critical road infrastructure and accelerate housing delivery in the Newcastle region.
"Expanding local road capacity is crucial to support over 3000 local homes in the surrounding area and another example of the Minns Government building better communities," Mr Scully said.
"Residents can look forward to reduced congestion and fewer bottlenecks as we build more homes and improve local neighbourhoods."
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said this was an important project for current and future generations.
"We're putting $7.61 million into this project through the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund because getting shovels in the ground sooner means better roads, faster," Minister Catley said.
"The Hunter is booming and we're making sure the infrastructure keeps up. Dual lanes mean less congestion, safer travel and a region that's future ready.
"It's all about getting people from A to B quickly and safely - not just today but for generations to come. That's why we're making these upgrades happen now."
Executive Director of City Infrastructure Clint Thomson said City of Newcastle was investing in a comprehensive, multi-year program of works to upgrade transport and related infrastructure in Wallsend.
"This is a significant road building project in a busy urban area, and a lot of work has to be completed underground before the community will see the new road emerging," Mr Thomson said.
"The foundational works of the project deliver additional benefits to the community including new and upgraded stormwater infrastructure, and renewal of several important water mains, which will improve water security for the western suburbs. We will continue to work closely with our utility partners including Hunter Water to minimise potential impacts.
"The collaboration between City of Newcastle and Daracon leverages local expertise and resources to understand and address the needs and concerns of our community.
"As our delivery partner, Daracon will continue to engage with the community to keep them abreast of the work, and we look forward to seeing this critical project take shape over the coming months."
Ward Four Councillors Elizabeth Adamczyk, Deahnna Richardson and Deputy Lord Mayor Callum Pull welcomed the progress.
"These upgrades are the largest roadworks project ever delivered by City of Newcastle and are the result of years of work from dedicated City of Newcastle staff and advocacy from councillors, who have listened and responded to the feedback from the community," Cr Adamczyk said.
"We've committed to this project twice already in this term as one of our key priorities as we deliver a solution to the tens of thousands of people who travel through this area to home, work and school every day," Cr Richardson said.
"Over the past six months, Council has implemented several upgrades at surrounding intersections to improve traffic flow in the area where major construction will take place. The project will deliver integrated transport options by providing pedestrian, cyclist and public transport infrastructure as well as critical road widening," Cr Pull said.
To keep up-to-date with the latest information visit the project page on City of Newcastle's website.
