An upgraded stretch of the Great Western Highway is now open to traffic, delivering improved journeys between Sydney and the state’s Central West.
The $232 million Coxs River Road Upgrade at Hartley has been jointly funded by the Federal and New South Wales governments to ensure safer journeys for locals, tourists and freight operators.
All Great Western Highway traffic has now been switched to the new 2.4km alignment.
The striking feature of the project is the 70m-long road bridge taking local traffic safely on Coxs River Road over the new four lanes of highway traffic.
The bridge and road have been built from locally sourced materials including concrete from Lithgow and quarry materials from Oberon. The bridge rests on 14 precast Super T girders, each one 34m long and weighing 60t.
With the new alignment now open to traffic, crews will remain on-site for a few more months to complete shared path and landscaping along the old highway.
New South Wales Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said that this upgrade will help improve safety and cut congestion for motorists along a key regional route.
“I’d like to thank local businesses and community members for their patience as this upgrade work was carried out,” Aitchison said.
“I’d also like to thank the more than 530 workers who helped make this important project possible. They’ve done a fantastic job, and I was very happy to hear 30 per cent of the workforce came from local communities.”
