Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has selected BMD Constructions and AECOM to deliver approximately 45 kilometres’ worth of new overtaking lanes as part of the Newell Highway Program Alliance.
“More than 3,000 motorists use this section of the Newell Highway each day, so it’s essential these improvements are made to provide safer overtaking opportunities.
“Nobody enjoys being stuck behind a truck or slow-moving heavy vehicle and this can lead to frustration, or worse. These overtaking lanes will provide more opportunities to overtake which are safe,” Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said.
The Newell Highway is a 1,060 kilometre highway in New South Wales that runs from the Victorian border at Tocumwal up to the Queensland border at Goondiwindi.
This project will deliver up to 30 new overtaking lanes across the Newell Highway, which will improve safety as well as reduce travel times by up to 25 minutes. The new overtaking lanes are also set to allow motorists to have more accurate travel planning and help improve freight productivity.
“We are delighted to be part of this partnership with Roads and Maritime Services and BMD, we are confident that this collaborative approach between the public and private sector is the best way to deliver this significant program of work.
“Throughout the project we will have a joint focus on project safety, reducing delivery timelines and keeping this critical freight route flowing,” AECOM project representative Jay Sticker said.
Delivery of the new overtaking lanes along the entire length of the highway present a number of challenges for the project team. This includes logistics, resources, materials and ensuring safety in remote areas along the route. In order to keep traffic flowing on both lanes of the existing highway, construction of the new overtaking lanes are planned to be delivered off-line.
“This is the most significant alliance between the private sector and Roads and Maritime Services for a number of years.
“It brings together the design, construction and project management responsibilities into one organisation ensuring a consistent approach where everyone’s goals are aligned,” BMD Constructions General manager NSW/ACT John Vida said.
Works are anticipated to commence in March 2019 on the first pair of overtaking lanes at Dustys Creek, north of Gilgandra.
Delivery of all the overtaking lanes is estimated to take up to four years to complete.
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Source: BMD Constructions; Roads and Maritime Services (1, 2)