Maitland Mayor Philip Penfold turns the first sod
Thornton and Chisholm residents daily commute will soon be less frustrating with work starting on long overdue road upgrades.
Today Maitland Mayor Philip Penfold joined representatives from Council and Transport for NSW to turn the first sod on the job and help get work on the $26 million project underway.
The intersection of Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road will be widened to accommodate dual lanes in each direction as well as right-hand turn bays, with traffic lights also set to be installed in a bid to fix the notorious choke point.
“Raymond Terrace Road is one of the busier roads in our LGA and feeds thousands of commuters daily through our city and beyond,” Mayor Penfold said.
Construction of the new intersection leg will cater for future development to the north and would be linked to the existing road network in coming years. It is hoped improved street lighting and accessibility to buses in the area will significantly improve traffic flow and commuter safety.
$9.5 million of the funding came via the NSW Government’s Housing Acceleration Fund, while Council is funding the remainder of the work, primarily via Developer Contributions, collected from the Thornton North Urban Release Area.
Mayor Penfold acknowledged the growing pains Maitland has experienced as it expands.
“Those who live in Thornton and Chisholm understand the difficulties of heading down Government Road and getting on the highway… and are understandably upset by the daily congestion,” he said.
“Residents have been calling for these works for several years so it’s something of a relief for them to see these upgrades finally get underway.”
He had no doubt locals would be looking forward to the widespread benefits once the works are complete which is expected to be sometime in mid 2024.