THE future of road and rail will be considered in a new assessment of the Great Western Highway, though a timeline for when it will begin has yet to be set.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The assessment will also look at traffic delays during peak holiday times at pinch points through the Blue Mountains, according to Transport for NSW, and will review previous work done on faster rail options for the western line that connects Sydney to Bathurst.
NSW Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison referred to "strategic corridor assessments" when she was in Bathurst in December 2023 to open the widened Great Western Highway from Kelso to Raglan.
Addressing criticism of NSW and federal Labor's decisions to cancel or put on hold much of the previous NSW Coalition government's ambitious highway duplication plans from Lithgow to Katoomba, Ms Aitchison said a better, more co-ordinated plan was needed.
She said the Albanese government wanted to do "strategic corridor assessments and they have highlighted this [the Great Western Highway] as one that needs to be done".
At a press conference recently at the Coxs River Road duplication site on the highway near Lithgow, meanwhile, Ms Aitchison mentioned the assessment again.
"We want to actually look at the whole network, have a look at the whole corridor, and do the enhancements," she told ABC Central West.
"Trying to bite off a project that's north of $11 billion [the NSW Coalition's only partly funded proposed tunnels], which only was coming out at Medlow Bath, it wasn't getting you right through the Blue Mountains, was something that, really, we just did not have the funding available for that.
"The Federal Government was not happy to put funds in, so that did create the situation where we had to put a pause.
"What we are doing now is doing that corridor assessment; getting the facts on the table of what is the best way to proceed."
So what is the corridor assessment?
THE Western Advocate sought information on the corridor assessment, specifically on whether it had begun and when it was expected to be completed, and received a response from Transport for NSW.
"Transport for NSW is working to develop a corridor plan for improving access and capacity along the Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and Bathurst," a spokesperson said.
"It will consider the future needs of both road and rail, local traffic, through traffic and freight.
"Previous assessments and studies, including an assessment of faster rail options and strategic work completed for the Great Western Highway upgrade between Katoomba and Lithgow, will be reviewed and assessed for their relevancy as possible inputs to the assessment.
"Traffic volume data as well as data collected during recent traffic delays during peak holiday times at pinch points through the Blue Mountains will provide an important source of information to inform possible future options."
Long story short
Great Western Highway upgrades
- 1960s: Springwood bypass.
- 1980s: Glenbrook, Blaxland, Valley Heights, Katoomba.
- 1990s: Lapstone Hill, Warrimoo, Linden Bends, Woodford Bends.
- 2000s: Faulconbridge, Linden, Wentworth Falls West, Leura.
- 2010: Lawson town centre.
The spokesperson said the review will assess the "safety, reliability, efficiency, accessibility, resilience, amenity and sustainability of potential options, among other factors".
"These possible future options to be assessed would include looking at all options to improve safety and capacity within the Great Western Highway corridor," the spokesperson said.
"The timeline for delivery of this new assessment has not yet been set, although Transport for NSW is in the process of formalising scope, stakeholder engagement and timeframe details.
"TfNSW will also work closely with Infrastructure Australia to ensure the corridor improvements are a national infrastructure priority."
