Roads and Maritime Services (formerly Roads and Traffic Authority) has implemented improvements at three locations along the Pacific Highway at Hexham to improve safety and access for motorists, and maintain traffic flow on this busy road.

The improvements were identified in response to a poor crash history at both locations, with each site meeting National Blackspot criteria.

Works included installing traffic lights at two intersections of the Pacific Highway and Old Maitland Road, as well as a new left-turn slip lane onto the Pacific Highway from the Hexham Bridge approach.

Features

Traffic signals wereinstalled at the northern and southern intersections of the Pacific Highway and Old Maitland Road, with funding from the National Blackspot Program.

The installation of traffic lights at the northern intersection near Hexham Railway Station was designed to improve safety for pedestrians as well as motorists. The traffic lights included pedestrian crossings across Old Maitland Road and the Pacific Highway to Hexham Railway Station. A new right turn out arrangement would be provided at the intersection, but the existing right turn in would be banned.

The right turn into Old Maitland Road can be safely made at the southern Old Maitland Road intersection, near Hexham Bowling Club, under traffic light control.

The access for motorists at the southern intersection is right turn in only. The right turn out of Old Maitland Road can be safely made at the northern intersection, under the control of new traffic lights.

Limiting the right turn movements to one at each intersection helps to minimise delays for motorists travelling along the Pacific Highway.

Improvements were also made for southbound traffic at Hexham Bridge, where the New England Highway intersects with the Pacific Highway, funded under the State Traffic Efficiency Program.

The trafic light controlled three left turn lanes for southbound traffic heading towards Newcastle were replaced by a free-flowing continuous slip lane.

These changes were designed to improve safety and traffic efficiency by improving traffic flow from Hexham Bridge onto the highway.