Hume Highway – Coolac Bypass

The new $179 million Coolac Bypass completes dual carriageway of the Hume Highway north of Gundagai. The project, which was officially opened on 14 August 2009, was funded by the Federal Government and managed by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

Background

The Hume Highway is the main freight route between Sydney and Melbourne.  It is also a vital transport link for communities and industries in southern New South Wales.
The Federal and NSW governments are committed to upgrading the entire length of the Hume Highway to a four lane divided carriageway by 2012.

The construction of the Coolac bypass, which commenced in May 2007, has been an integral part of this process.

Contractors

Construction: Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd.

Site management: Professional Engineering Services Pty Ltd.

Project features

• Construction of 12 kilometres of dual carriageway on the Hume Highway.
• Reconstruction of four kilometres of northbound carriageway between Muttama Creek and the Dog on the Tuckerbox on an improved alignment.
• A full diamond interchange at Cootamundra Road, east of Coolac.
• An underpass for local traffic at Coleman Street in Pettit.
• Twin bridge structures at Muttama Creek and Daisy Bed Creek.
• The upgrade of Main Street and Gobarralong Road in Pettit.
• A rest area on either side of the highway, including landscaping and parking.

Benefits

The bypass significantly improves road safety by:

• Providing a four lane, divided carriageway to separate northbound and southbound traffic.
• Removing heavy vehicle traffic from Coolac village and providing safer access from the Hume Highway to Pettit and Coolac.
• Reducing travelling times and heavy vehicle operating costs for through traffic.

Points of interest

• Approximately 1.6 million cubic metres of earthworks have been excavated and built into embankments.
• An on-site batch plant generated over 130,000 cubic metres of concrete throughout the project.
• Three concrete paving machines were used.
• At construction peak, the main paving machine generated over 500 metres of roadway – over 1000 cubic metres of concrete – in a single day.
• Over 50,000 native trees will be planted as part of the final project works.
• A total of 137 nesting boxes have been installed in some of the larger trees to help with the breeding of native birds.
• Six glider poles are to be installed to help with the safe movement of native fauna, such us the squirrel glider, between adjacent clusters of native vegetation.
• A travelling stock reserve has been provided adjacent to, but separated from the highway.
• A heritage-listed timber railway platform has been relocated from Pettit and permanently installed along a section of railway line opposite Coolac village.
• A length of the main trunk from a 150 year old survey-marker tree (‘blaze’ tree) was preserved and relocated to the Gundagai Historical Society, where it is now on display.

Works to be completed after opening

Work is continuing on landscaping and the construction of facilities in the two rest areas. It is anticipated the Coolac bypass rest area facilities will be completed by January 2010, with landscaping work scheduled for completion in May 2010.