Barton Highway

The first stage of Barton Highway duplication is almost ready to hit its biggest milestone as the new lanes officially open to traffic.

From mid to late October, the left lanes will open in a temporary arrangement while work moves to preparing the existing highway for southbound-only traffic.

Northbound road users will travel over one lane of the seven kilometres of duplication while southbound traffic will be reduced down to a single lane on the existing highway. 

This temporary traffic arrangement will be in place for about two months while work is carried out to prepare the existing highway and medians to duplicated traffic. 

Work on the existing highway will include a fresh road surface, line marking and signs. When complete, all four lanes will be open, signaling the completion of the first stage of duplication – expected to be in late 2023 or early 2024, depending on weather and conditions.

For more information, see the map below or read our latest community update (PDF, 3.53 MB).

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Barton Highway Stage 1 temporary traffic arrangement.

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Come and chat to us at the Murrumbateman Field Days

We are thrilled to be returning to Murrumbateman Field Days in 2023 to answer any questions and update you about the Barton Highway Upgrade.

When: Saturday 21 October and Sunday 22 October 
Where: Site Y35, Murrumbateman Recreation Grounds
Time: Stop by anytime over the weekend between 8am to 5pm Saturday and 8am to 4pm Sunday.

While you’re at the field days, stop by and visit our safety display with a ‘Be Truck Aware’ campaign and other great road safety initiatives at sites Y36 and Y37.

We look forward to chatting with you.
 

After a difficult few years for road building due to La Niña conditions, the first stage of Barton Highway duplication is nearing completion.

We are expecting to open the new lanes to traffic by the end of this year, with a small amount of work planned for early 2024 to retrofit the existing lanes.

Over the coming months, our delivery team will be working on laying and compacting one final layer of road surface to make the highway strong, smooth and provide better ride quality.

Meanwhile, early geotechnical investigations have been completed along the second stage of duplication.

The findings from these investigations will help inform the concept design, which we will be sharing with you later in the year.

Find out more in the latest community update (PDF, 1.6 MB).

A community update sharing our work so far on the first and second stages of the Barton Highway is now available.

Despite the Stage 1 project receiving a monthly record of 200 millimetres of rain in October, Stage 1 work is progressing with the road foundation layers nearing completion from Church Lane to Gooromon Ponds and work starting on the southern interim tie-in.

The update includes details about our recent community events, Stage 1 work that we’ve completed and the latest updates for Stage 2.

Tree planting success

More than 900 plants have been planted along the Barton Highway corridor to help create habitat connectivity and linkages along the western side of the dual carriageway that is currently being built.

We had a great turn-out of local community members at a community tree planting day in August, with local Landcare groups, Traditional Owners and Transport staff working together to plant 400 trees and 560 shrubs.

Volunteers planted seedling-sized plants across nine sites to create stepping stones of the box gum grassy woodland which are expected to grow significantly over the next three months following spring rainfall.

These stepping stones will link box gum woodland at Hall to a significant biodiversity corridor near Rolfe Road which crosses the highway and leads towards the Murrumbidgee River.

Specific species were carefully chosen due to their existing presence in our local environment and to ensure they are suitable for the local soil and climate conditions.

Transport worked with local Landcare groups to develop a list of species that are climate-ready and create a seamless linkage throughout the existing landscape to establish a box gum grassy woodland. The chosen species will create the critically endangered ecological community of the box gum grassy woodland of which there is only 10 per cent estimated to be left in reasonable condition.

The smaller shrubs, including wattle, will create a really important habitat for small birds and other animals and are expected to attract species such as sugar gliders.

Looking further into the future, 100-year-old mature eucalypt trees which are able to develop hollows will be a critical breeding habitat to other endangered species such as the Swift Parrot.

• Spring 2023 community update (PDF, 3.53 MB)
• Autumn 2023 community update (PDF, 1.6 MB)
• Summer 2023 community update
• Winter 2022 community update
• Summer 2022 community update
• Winter 2021 community update
• Autumn 2021 community update
• Summer 2020 community update
• June 2020 community update
• Autumn 2020 community update
• Summer 2019 community update
• October 2018 project update
• May 2018 project update

• 16 October 2023
  Major milestone for Barton as traffic moves to new alignment
• 5 June 2023
  Final touches set for Barton Highway stage one duplication.

• October 2023 frequently asked questions (PDF, 95.74 KB)