Proposed Hillsborough Rd upgrade marks new milestone prior to construction

Upgrading Hillsborough Road between the Newcastle Inner City Bypass and west of Crockett Street in New South Wales is close to becoming a reality as the proposed project marks a new milestone with the review of environmental factors (REF) submissions report now released for viewing. 

The State Government has committed $35 million to deliver the first stage works that involves upgrading the Crockett Street intersection and installation of traffic lights. 

“Hillsborough Road is a key corridor between Charlestown and Warners Bay, and the upgrade will improve safety and travel times for 36,000 motorists who travel along this busy thoroughfare each day. 

“In addition to reducing congestion and traffic flow for all road users, the project is estimated to support up to 130 jobs during construction,” Transport for NSW Regional Director North Anna Zycki said. 

The full Hillsborough Road upgrade – which will be delivered in stages – is proposed to include: 

• Duplication of about 1.8 kilometres of Hillsborough Road from the Newcastle Inner City Bypass roundabout to the existing duplication west of Crockett Street 
• Two lanes in each direction separated by a raised median 
• Posted speed limit of 60 km/h 
• New traffic lights at the Chadwick Street, Barker Avenue and Crockett Street intersections including pedestrian crossings 
• Modification to Higham Road with left turn out only 
• U-turn bay on Barker Avenue 
• New separated left in and left out only exit for access to the Combined Newcastle Canine Club showgrounds 
• Left in and left out only access from existing businesses and residences fronting Hillsborough Road east of the Combined Newcastle Canine Club showgrounds 
• On-road provision for cyclists in both directions and an off-road shared path on the northern side of Hillsborough Road for both cyclists and pedestrians 
• Upgraded bus stop facilities on Hillsborough Road near Crockett Street and Chadwick Street intersections and on Crockett Street 

In addition to summarising community comments from the consultation period, the submissions report also provides Transport for NSW’s response to these submissions. 

The main issues highlighted during the consultation period include timing of project delivery, design issues around traffic lights, facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users, and questions about biodiversity. 

“The full upgrade will result in improved pedestrian safety through the introduction of shared path facilities for the entire length of the proposal. 

“It will improve pedestrian facilities across Hillsborough Road, through the use of dedicated pedestrian crossing located at the traffic lights. 

“In total, there will be three new pedestrian crossings to cross Hillsborough Road as part of the full-length upgrades,” Ms Zycki said. 

Transport for NSW will now proceed with the detailed design for the project following environmental approval while continuing to explore opportunities to fast-track construction. 

Major construction is expected to begin in 2025 and will take about 18 months to complete depending on the final staging of project delivery. 

Source: Transport for NSW (1, 2)