The recently announced NSW budget for 2012-13 includes significant investment in road and highway improvements on the state’s eastern seaboard. Rightly receiving the most cash is the notorious stretch of the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and the Queensland border.
Details for road spending are as follows:
• $941 million on the Pacific Highway, improving travel times, road safety, freight efficiency and traffic conditions. A further $1.5 billion will be invested as the NSW government’s contribution to complete the duplication by 2016.
• $472 million towards key regional highways including $187 million for the Princes Highway, $134 million for the Great Western Highway and $151 million to the Hume Highway.
• $248 million to increase capacity and improve travel times on roads in Sydney, including widening the M2 and M5 motorways and upgrading roads such as Camden Valley Way, Richmond Road and Erskine Park Link Road to support housing and employment growth.
• $30 million allocated to plan for a future Sydney motorway network for the release of the state infrastructure strategy by Infrastructure NSW in September.
Details of key initiatives include:
• $530 million to continue building the Hunter Expressway between the F3 Freeway at Seahampton and the New England Highway at Branxton (state and federal funded);
• $240 million to start work on the Pacific Highway upgrade between Tintenbar and Ewingsdale, north of Ballina (state and federal funded);
• $180 million to continue work on the dual carriageway upgrade of the Pacific Highway between Coffs Harbour (Sapphire) and Woolgoolga (state and federal funded);
• $90 million to start major work on the Gerringong upgrade of the Princes Highway between Mount Pleasant and Toolijooa Road;
• $70 million to continue planning the upgrade of the Pacific Highway between Woolgoolga and Ballina (state and federal funded).
• $100 million to complete the Holbrook bypass as the final stage of the Hume Highway duplication between Sydney and Melbourne (state and federal funded);
• $59 million to complete the dual carriageway upgrade of the Pacific Highway at Bulahdelah (state and federal funded).
Other commitments include:
• $10 million to finalise planning and start work on the four lane divided road upgrade of Nelson Bay Road, between Bobs Farm and Anna Bay;
• $9 million to upgrade the New England Highway between the hospital and railway station roundabouts in Maitland;
• $8 million to upgrade Raymond Terrace-Dungog Road by Port Stephens and Dungog councils;
• $6 million to upgrade Hunter Region wine roads;
• $5 million to upgrade of Wallanbah and Avalon Road by Greater Taree Council;
• $1 million for replacement of railway level crossing on Woy Woy Road at Horsfield Bay; and
• $1 million to upgrade Wisemans Ferry Road on the Central Coast.
For more information on the NSW Budget, visit www.budget.nsw.gov.au.