Pacific Highway – Oxley Highway Interchange upgrade

The Oxley Highway in the Port Macquarie Hastings area forms part of the transport network that links people to essential services, employment and education as well as a key east-west link between the coast and New England region.

Upgrades to the Pacific Highway over the last decade have improved the region’s connectivity to major cities, encouraging growth in housing, employment and services. This growth has generated increased peak hour commuter demand, which is particularly prevalent at the interchange.

The NSW Government is investing $20 million to deliver improvements to the Pacific Highway – Oxley Highway Interchange.

This project forms part of the Oxley Highway Future Growth Project and was accelerated due to the interchange operating above its designed traffic capacity, resulting in congestion during peak hours. This congestion reduces the efficiency of the intersection and adjacent highways, impacts traffic safety, travel times and the efficient performance Pacific Highway and Oxley Highway 

With around 30,000 vehicles using this section of the highway every day, this project will improve safety and increase capacity to keep traffic flowing smoothly at the interchange.

The project involves increasing capacity of the roundabout along with duplication of westbound lane on the Oxley Highway between Billabong Drive and the interchange. These works are complimentary to the upgrades required as part of the approved highway service centre development southwest of the interchange.

The upgrade would improve:

• road safety for current and future traffic flows
• access and capacity for traffic driving onto the Oxley Highway from the northbound lanes
• freight efficiency.

In recognising the significant amount of planning and time to develop and construct the upgrades to the interchange, we have delivered a short-term solution to improve the safety of the northbound exit ramp.

In November 2024, we increased the capacity on the northbound exit ramp from one to two lanes, between the existing 60km/h sign and the roundabout to help reduce queue lengths on while we continue to develop the larger upgrade.

With an increase capacity on the northbound exit ramp, there are changes to permissible traffic movements for vehicles both exiting the Pacific Highway, and on the roundabout to maintain safety.

The left lane on the Pacific Highway northbound off ramp will allow motorists to turn left, continue straight (back onto the Pacific Highway) and turn right towards Port Macquarie, while the right-hand lane will only allow motorists to turn right. New signage will be installed to assist motorists exiting the Pacific Highway. 

Take a look at the video to view the changes to traffic movements

Transport for NSW has prepared a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the proposed upgrade of the Pacific Highway/ Oxley Highway Interchange. We are inviting community feedback on the REF by 1 September 2025.

We are keen to hear from you and welcome your questions or feedback. The project team will be available to answer questions related to the proposed upgrade at two community information sessions below: 

• Session 1: Monday 11 August 2025 (4pm - 6pm) at  Sovereign Place Town Centre, 15 Chancellors Drive, Thrumster NSW 2444
• Session 2: Tuesday 12 August 2025 (10am - 12pm) at Wauchope Library, 53 High Street, Wauchope NSW 2446

• August 2025 – Pacific Highway – Oxley Highway Interchange Review of Environmental Factors on display and Have Your Say open (PDF, 3.3 MB)
• December 2024 - Pacific Highway - Oxley Highway Interchange safety improvement work completed (PDF, 550.45 KB)
• August November 2024 - Pacific Highway - Oxley Highway Interchange safety improvement work (PDF, 520.81 KB)
  Night work to carry out work - northbound exit ramp closed and detour in place via Sancrox Road.
• July 2024 - Pacific Highway - Oxley Highway Interchange safety improvement work (PDF, 572.98 KB)

• 9 July 2024 - Upgrades in store for Port Macquarie interchange

• 5 August 2025 - Review of Environmental Factors (REF) (PDF, 10.03 MB)
• 5 August 2025 - REF Appendix A (PDF, 369.21 KB)
• 5 August 2025 - REF Appendix B (PDF, 383.96 KB)
• 5 August 2025 – REF Appendix C (PDF, 4.29 MB)
• 5 August 2025 – REF Appendix D (PDF, 3.16 MB)
• 5 August 2025 – REF Appendix E (PDF, 13.49 MB)
• 5 August 2025 – REF Appendix F (PDF, 22.34 MB)
• 5 August 2025– REF Appendix G (PDF, 705.43 KB)