Upgrades to a major link road between Newcastle and Nelson Bay are one step closer to being realised.
Daracon has been handed a contract to build a one kilometre dual-carriageway from Marsh Road at Salt Ash to the already completed section of Nelson Bay Road at Bobs Farm.
The $26 million dollar Section 1 upgrade, scheduled to start later this year, is expected to support about 100 jobs and take around 18 months to finish.
Work includes building 3.5 metre travel lanes, 2.5 metre shoulders, a concrete median separation barrier, two connected retaining walls, utility relocations and fauna exclusion fencing.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the NSW Government has committed $275 million to duplicate Nelson Bay Road from Williamtown to Bobs Farm to help improve safety, travel times and traffic flow for the 25,000 motorists who use the busy route each day.
“Nelson Bay Road provides a major connection for Nelson Bay with Newcastle and the work we’re doing will make it easier, safer and faster for locals and visitors to get around,” Mr Toole said.
Work on the Bobs Farm to Anna Bay section was completed in 2015, the upgrade of the Medowie Road intersection wrapped up in 2019, and mid-2020 the Lemon Tree Passage Road intersection upgrade was finalised.
Community consultation on the route options took place last year, with a response from Transport for NSW published in June.
Transport for NSW is currently preparing a preferred option report for the project, to be published later this year.