Muswellbrook Bypass

Background

The New England Highway is part of the AusLink National Network in NSW. In 1998 the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) carried out a detailed route selection study for a proposed bypass of Muswellbrook. Three options were displayed from December 2000 to February 2001. These options are no longer viable largely due to mining activities in the area.

The Australian Government has recently selected a preferred option for the route.

Local constraints

Only one viable option has been identified due to the significant constraints in the area, including:

Coal mining activities.
Council landfill.
Residential development.
Local geography.

The proposal

The proposed route bypasses Muswellbrook to the east (please refer to the map below). It would be a single carriageway, 8.8 km in length and comprise:

Grade separated interchanges at the southern and northern connections with the New England Highway.
Grade separated interchange at Coal Road.
Off ramp to Sandy Creek Road for motorists travelling north on the bypass.
On ramp from Sandy Creek Road for motorists travelling south on the bypass.
Two bridge crossings of the Main Northern Railway.
Overtaking lanes in both directions.

Benefits of a bypass

The bypass would have significant benefits including:

Removes conflicts between local traffic and through traffic in the Muswellbrook town centre.
Removes heavy vehicle through traffic away from the town centre and adjacent residential areas.
Provides an opportunity to develop a more pedestrian friendly environment in Muswellbrook’s main street.
Improves residential amenity by reducing traffic noise levels in the town.
Improves travel times for through traffic on the New England Highway – higher travel speeds and shorter travel distance (8.8km at 100km/h on the bypass as opposed to the current slower 10.5km route through Muswellbrook).

What happens next?

A commencement date for construction will be dependent on Federal funding being allocated beyond 2008-09.

The New England Highway is part of the AusLink National Network in NSW. The Australian Government has made $5 million available up to 2008-09 under its Auslink program to begin detailed planning for the bypass, including environmental assessment.

The next steps are to finalise the concept design and to protect the route from future development by assisting the Muswellbrook Shire Council to include it in the Local Environmental Plan. This draft plan will be exhibited for public comment.

Further information

For further information on the proposal please contact the project manager, Matthew Mate.

Email: matthew_mate@rta.nsw.gov.au

Phone: (02) 4924 0646