The M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace has jumped through another hurdle.
The NSW Planning Minister has approved the determination for the project which was posted on the NSW Planning Portal yesterday for the State Significant Infrastructure project.
Traffic is hoped to be a lot smoother around the Hunter by 2028 when the project is expected to be complete. The 15 kilometre motorway will have two lanes in each direction to connect the M1 Pacific Motorway at Black Hill with the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace.
The motorway will have four new interchanges at Black Hill, Tarro, Tomago and Raymond Terrace. There will be a 2.6 kilometre viaduct over the Hunter River and floodplain, the Main North Rail Line, and the New England Highway, bridge structures over local waterways at Tarro and Raymond Terrace, and an overpass for Masonite Road in Heatherbrae and connections and modifications to the adjoining local road network.
If all goes according to plan, the extension will open in 2028 and reduce traffic by up to 50 per cent in some areas including the Pacific Highway east of the Hexham Bridge.
The Federal and NSW Governments have put $2.1 billion towards the M1 project and the Hexham Straight widening project.
Now that the NSW Planning Minister has given the project the all clear, the next stage is for the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be referred to the Federal Government for final approval.
That process is expected to take a couple of weeks.