100 km/h speed limit returned to upgraded Mitchell Highway intersection with Thompson Road
14 March 2022
A raft of upgrades has now been completed at the busy Mitchell Highway and Thompson Road intersection in Orange, allowing the 100 km/h speed limit to be reinstated.
Transport for NSW Regional Director West Alistair Lunn said the NSW and Australian Governments provided $2.98 million in funding for a suite of safety treatments, following requests from the community and a history of crashes.
“Upgrades which have been completed include installing a dedicated right-hand turning lane to separate vehicles turning into Thompson Road as well as road widening, updated signage, new guardrail and line marking, delivering a safer intersection for our regional communities,” Mr Lunn said.
“These upgrades will make a big difference helping to prevent crashes and that’s going to make motorists feel more at ease while driving through this intersection going forward.
“In March 2021 we met with community members at this intersection and made a commitment to improve safety, and plans were then fast tracked following a tragic fatality last July.
“The first of the safety measures was implemented while we worked on planning the upgrades, with the speed limit lowered from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. We then reconfigured the intersection to include a dedicated right turn bay, enabling through traffic to safely pass turning motorists, replaced the existing guard rail and constructed a new road surface and line markings.”
Since the completion of road safety works, a second speed zone review has been undertaken and the temporary speed limit of 80km/h will be returned to 100km/h. This will take effect from 22 March.
“The upgrades have mitigated the risk of rear-end collision when vehicles turn right into Thompson Road.
“There were 50 people working on this project to ensure these safety treatments could be delivered as soon as possible.”
For more information about regional road safety, go to: roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au