Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) is implementing a $30 million package of works on the Newell Highway over three years.  This funding is in addition to an average of $45 million allocation for BlackSpot, safety, traffic management, asset maintenance and capital works projects on the route over the past five years.

Our road strategy for the Newell Highway was developed following the Newell Highway Safety Review 2009 and the Road Toll Response Package 2010. The goal of this strategy is to achieve a substantial reduction in the incidence and severity of road crashes on the Newell Highway. This strategy includes:

• An engineering program - improved delineation, pavement and drainage improvements, shoulder widening and sealing, removal of roadside hazards, provision of roadside crash barriers and junction/intersection improvements.
• A behavioural program - education campaigns, revised speed zoning and signposting, improved signposting of rest opportunities and Driver Reviver sites.
• An enforcement program addressing speeding and compliance with transport regulations by both heavy and light vehicle drivers - increasing the profile of Police speed enforcement, joint Roads and Maritime Services/Police operations targeting heavy vehicle compliance and high profile heavy vehicle enforcement activities by Roads and Maritime Services inspectors.
• A technology program including the use of point to point speed camera technology, using fixed digital speed cameras as well as the Safe-T-Cam system.

Safety engineering works - features

The package includes:

• New line marking and signposting to provide motorists with better guidance.
• Upgrading a number of minor intersections.
• Dedicated turning lanes at some intersections.
• New and consistent signs to warn drivers of coming intersections.
• Sealing alongside roads on the approaches to the highway.
• Removing roadside hazards such trees.
• Installing safety barriers where roadside hazards cannot be relocated or removed.

Removal of roadside hazards

Roads and Maritime Services has commenced safety work on the Newell Highway: removing trees, flattening steep areas, installing wire rope and more.

Work is occurring at:

• Corobimilla to Gillenbah State Forest
• Narrandera to West Wyalong

This essential work will provide a safer roadside area for vehicles to recover and return to the road without hitting an object.

On the Newell Highway from the Victorian border at Tocumwal to Marsden, from 2006 to 2010, 30 crashes with vehicles running off the road and hitting an object resulted in 5 fatalities and 33 injuries. Work will only be done on two sections of the Newell within this area.

• From Corobimilla to Gillenbah State Forest, 4 crashes resulted in 1 fatality and 3 injuries.
• From Narrandera to West Wyalong, 15 crashes resulted in 3 fatalities and 16 injuries.

854 mature trees and saplings will be removed along an 11.5km section from Corobimilla to Gillenbah State Forest.

910 mature trees and saplings will be removed along a 137km section from Narrandera to West Wyalong.

An environmental assessment for each section is available for viewing on the project documents page.

Measures we will implement to minimise impacts for these safety works are described; including for every tree removed, 10 trees will be planted at other appropriate locations.

If you would like more information, please contact the project manager, Peter Rands, on 131 782.