Mayor encourages residents to speak up on the Newell Highway Upgrade at Coonabarabran

Transport for NSW have now released the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) report on the Newell Highway Upgrade at Coonabarabran and residents are being encouraged to have their say on the project.
 
“The release of the REF represents the next stage of the project to effectively by-pass Coonabarabran” said Councillor Ambrose Doolan, Mayor of Warrumbungle Shire Council “it is extremely important that residents of Coonabarabran have their say on the project.”
 
“The proposal includes a new highway about eight kilometres long east of the existing Newell Highway alignment. Obviously, this will mean that the Highway will not run through our CBD, and will bring both potential benefits and negatives for our town hence the importance of residents having their say” said Cr Doolan.
 
Key features of the proposal would include: 

• A new two-lane, two-way road, about eight kilometres long to the east of Coonabarabran, between the Newell Highway and Oxley Highway with a posted speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour;
• Changes to the intersection arrangement of the Newell Highway and Oxley Highway to the north of Coonabarabran;
• Intersections and local road adjustments at Purlewaugh Road and River Road;
• A bridge crossing of the Castlereagh River;
• Two stock culverts; one under the highway just south of Purlewaugh Road and a private stock access under the highway between River Road and Chinamans Gully;
• Property acquisitions and adjustments to some property access;
• Drainage adjustments and utility relocations;
• Temporary ancillary facilities during construction including water quality controls, site offices and stockpile sites. The work is expected to take around 20 months to complete.
 
“The REF and concept design is now on display for public information and comment until 29 January 2021 and can be viewed in the project section of the TfNSW website. This will affect many of us and I am strongly encouraging residents to direct their submissions to TfNSW” concluded Cr Doolan.

For more information visit

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/newell-highway/coonabarabran.html

Last Updated: 04 Dec 2020