Planning documents have been released that show proposed changes to the city centre in Newcastle, New South Wales, which will help integrate light rail into the road network.
Upgrades are proposed along Stewart Avenue and Hannell Street, and at the intersections of Hunter and Steel streets and King and Darby streets.
The work will include some areas of road widening and new turning lanes to increase intersection capacity and optimise traffic movements during the construction and operation of light rail.
Program Director, Michael Cassel, said, “These upgrades are needed to integrate light rail into the existing road network and will also help manage congestion and improve road safety and traffic flows into the future.”
Stakeholders and the community provided feedback on the light rail project in early 2016, and voiced strong support for road and intersection improvements to support light rail.
“We made a commitment to work with key stakeholders to come up with a package of road upgrades and to allow the community to have their say. We are delivering on that promise,” Mr Cassel said.
The community and interested stakeholders will be able to make submissions on these proposed road and intersection improvements while the Review of Environmental Factors is on public display until 19 December 2016.
“The release of these plans marks another important step forward for the light rail project,” Mr Cassel said.
This road and intersection improvement package is part of the NSW Government’s $510 million program to revitalise Newcastle, bring people back into the CBD and create job opportunities.
