JENNY AITCHISON
NSW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORT AND ROADS

MEDIA RELEASE - KELSO TO RAGLAN UPGRADE COMPLETION THE PERFECT GIFT FOR MOTORISTS

Vision pack available here

Motorists are enjoying smoother, safer rides into Bathurst ahead of Christmas following the completion of a major highway upgrade to the city’s east.

The three-year project to upgrade 3.5 kilometres of the Great Western Highway between Kelso and Raglan has doubled the road’s capacity with dual lanes in each direction between Ashworth Drive and Napoleon Street, and delivered a more resilient road surface following the installation of heavy duty asphalt along the entire upgrade route.

The project also includes significant beautification work with a new shared footpath from Ashworth Drive to Eugenie Street and ongoing landscaping work to brighten the eastern entrance to Bathurst.

All lanes are now open to traffic but crews will remain on site with traffic control in place in the coming weeks to put up permanent safety barriers, complete the footpath near the Gold Panner Motor Inn, finalise landscaping and install traffic lights at the intersection with PJ Moodie Memorial Drive.

In total, crews have laid about 67,000 tonnes of asphalt along the 3.5-kilometre upgrade route and installed 2,250 metres of concrete pipes and 52 stormwater pits.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The completion of the upgrade just in time for Christmas was a timely gift for the thousands of locals, tourists and freight operators who travel this section of highway every day.

“The Great Western Highway is a key regional route linking western NSW to Sydney and the coast but for too long traffic had been choked passing through Raglan and Kelso.

“Having dual lanes open in both directions between Ashworth Drive and Napoleon Street means motorists can now enjoy safer, smoother journeys through Kelso and Raglan, and will dramatically shorten delays during heavy holiday periods or peak travel times such as the Bathurst 1000.

“The upgrade also means reduced maintenance costs and delays on this section of highway, better access to Bathurst Airport and improved pedestrian and cycle links between Kelso and Raglan. The work delivers not just a better road but also enhanced liveability for these communities.”

Stephen Lawrence, Duty MLC for the electorate of Bathurst said:

"Projects like this are an important part of strategically improving transport and amenity outcomes for people living in the regions.

“This project will provide a tangible benefit to road users by not only reducing the choke-point, but also catering for pedestrians and cyclists."

Bathurst Mayor Councillor Jess Jennings said:

“It’s excellent to see this highly valuable stretch of road infrastructure finally getting done after many years in the making.

“It delivers excellent access into and out of east Bathurst for visitors, residents and businesses, and has tidied up the old Sydney Road to create much better amenity for all of us to use and enjoy, including the cycle / walking path.”

More information on the Kelso to Raglan upgrade is available here.

MEDIA: Wendy Fitzgibbon | Minister Aitchison | 0408 427 540