TRIP times are forecast to reduce and maintenance costs are expected to plummet after an upgrade is completed on two roads in the Oberon area.
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Member for Bathurst Paul Toole was in Oberon recently to announce $1.25 million in funding from the NSW Government to upgrade Meadows and Hazelgrove roads.
The money will come from the Fixing Country Roads program.
“The total cost of the upgrades is $1.5 million, with another $200,000 coming from industry funding and $50,000 from council,” Mr Toole said.
Planned work includes widening and sealing a 2.6 kilometre section of Meadows Road from six metres to nine metres; clearing trees and vegetation along Meadows Road; widening the intersection between Meadows Road and Golden Valley Road to allow a wider turning radius; widening a 400 metre stretch of Hazelgrove Road; and clearing trees and vegetation along Hazelgrove Road.
The roads are used by trucks travelling between Blenheim State Forest and Oberon.
Mr Toole said the upgrade would allow the roads to take 23-metre B-doubles, up from 19-metre B-doubles.
He said analysis showed annual heavy vehicle movements on the route were estimated at 2700 trips and this was expected to reduce by 14 per cent due to the upgrade.
The improved pavement condition was expected to reduce the average trip time by 40 minutes and reduce maintenance costs by 93 per cent.
Sixty-seven projects across regional NSW have been approved for funding in the third round of the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Roads program.
The successful projects, worth $92 million, include upgrades to roads and bridges.
Mr Toole said this investment would significantly reduce costs to business and industry while encouraging economic growth.
“Economic growth in rural areas relies on agricultural commodities, industrial products and natural resources being able to move to market efficiently,” he said.
Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said safe and reliable roads are essential to maintaining citizens’ standard of living.
“Regional NSW produces around 210 million tonnes of freight a year, with freight volume expected to increase by 25 per cent over the next 40 years,” she said.
“That is why the Government is investing a further $92 million towards the Fixing Country Roads program targeting significant regional projects.”
The latest round of funding is the biggest announcement under the program to date and is part of a $500 million commitment to regional communities under the Restart NSW program.
The NSW Government has set aside more than $1 billion for regional road and rail projects.