Barton Highway upgrade package - Stage 1 - Barton Highway

The first stage of duplication on the Barton Highway is now complete with the 100 km/h speed zone in place.

The seven kilometres of duplicated lanes, and upgrades to the existing highway have delivered a two-lane southbound carriageway from north of the NSW/ACT border to south of Kaveneys Road.

Included in this stage of the project is a central median separating the two carriageways, upgraded intersections and property access roads to the highway.

Dedicated U-turn facilities have also been provided to manage right-turn movements, as well as improvements to existing bus stops at Spring Range and Nanima roads.

During construction the project team have battled over 280 rain days with 3049 mm of rain recorded.

Over 101,000 tonnes of road pavement was placed with 14.2 kilometres of guardrail and 15.7 kilometres of drainage pipes installed.

Planning is well under way for Stage 2 and the Southern permanent tie-in. We anticipate work to start in 2025.

Thank you to  community for their patience as we completed this important work to deliver safer, more efficient and more reliable travel for road users and local residents.

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

From 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).

Work is progressing on the new two-lane northbound lanes for the first stage of the Barton Highway upgrade. As part of this work, we will be upgrading the Barton Highway intersection with Boundary Lane on the northern end of the project.

During this work, the existing Boundary Lane intersection will be closed. Access to Boundary Lane will be available via the new northbound lanes at Rolfe Road. Northbound and southbound road users will be required to use the Rolfe Road intersection to access Barton Highway.

This temporary traffic arrangement will be in place from Wednesday 7 June 2023 for up to six months, weather permitting.

Our work hours are between 7am and 6pm weekdays and 8am and 1pm Saturdays, excluding public holidays.

Thank you for your patience during this important work.

The Barton Highway is an essential part of the NSW and ACT transport network, connecting communities to essential services, employment, health care, education opportunities and supporting freight movement.

In 2017 the Australian and NSW governments announced funding to begin the duplication of the Barton Highway in NSW.

Duplicating the highway will ensure safer and more reliable journeys for almost 13,000 road users who use the Barton Highway daily.

The section of highway from the ACT border towards Murrumbateman was identified for immediate duplication. The existing highway will become the southbound carriageway and the new lanes will be the northbound carriageway.

During detailed design we worked closely with the road construction industry to maximise the length of duplication that could be delivered with the available funding.

Upgrading the highway and carrying out safety improvements will bring major benefits to road users. These improvements support regional development and provide:

• Safer travel
• Reduced travel times with improved transport efficiency
• More consistent and reliable travel
• Safer conditions for road users and local communities

Transport for NSW takes its responsibility to the environment and legislation seriously.

A review of environmental factors (REF) was on display for community feedback from Monday 24 February to Friday 27 March 2020. An REF assesses the impact of construction activity on natural and cultural heritage within the project area.

We have identified vulnerable flora and fauna, significant cultural locations, and conducted a range of studies on the environment to best protect the area around the Barton Highway duplication zone.

Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback or came to discuss the report at our information sessions at Yass and Murrumbateman. The feedback period is now closed.

In response to submissions, Transport for NSW has revised the proposed intersection configuration at Kaveneys Road to allow a right turn into Kaveneys Road.

View the review of environmental factors (PDF, 16.7Mb) and submissions report (PDF, 10.4Mb).

Our number one priority is keeping people safe on our roads and the Barton Highway Improvement Strategy 2017 identified a number of concerns along the corridor.

Completed safety work

To get you home safely we have reduced the likelihood of run-off road crashes by:

• Completing shoulder improvement work
• Upgrading signage
• Adjusting line marking
• Clearing vegetation
• Repairing road surfaces
• Improving stormwater drains.

To minimise the severity of crashes we have:

• Changed conditions at the Hillview Drive intersection to allow better traffic flow and access on and off the highway
• Upgraded the Gooda Creek Road and Vallencia Drive intersections to relieve congestion and improve access on and off the highway
• Improved bridge barriers at Gooromon Ponds Creek, Jeir Creek, Gooda Creek and McClungs Creek
• Removed mature trees between Casuarina Lane and Yass Valley Way
• Improved bus stops, including a new bus stop at Vallencia Drive and new off-road bus stops at Euroka Avenue and Gooda Creek Road
• Installed electronic message boards along the Barton Highway and Yass Valley Way to inform road users of changed traffic conditions and provide fog weather warnings to motorists.

We are collaborating on Yass Valley Council’s Active Transport plan to create an interconnected movement network that will meet the needs of Murrumbateman village into the future. An active transport hub will allow cyclists and pedestrians to easily and safely move through the village and create a vibrant, cohesive community with improved health and lifestyle outcomes. This will also attract new visitors to the village, enhancing tourism and business opportunities.

We understand the local community has identified a number of safety concerns including:

• Lack of pedestrian visibility for motorists
• Risk involved with people walking along the Barton Highway from Fairley Estate
• Difficulties for pedestrians crossing the highway

To improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, we have developed a concept plan that:

• Extends the shared pathway from the Murrumbateman Hotel bus stop along the Barton Highway to Hercules Street to provide safe passage around the village
• Involves installing a pedestrian barrier at Jones Park and modifying the existing median island to improve safety

Our project team has been asking the Murrumbateman community to consider their pedestrian and cycling requirements so we can help build appropriate infrastructure to suit their needs into the future.

In 2016 the Australian Government committed $50 million to the Barton Highway under the Infrastructure Investment Program. This commitment included funding for a business case to recommend staging and costings for full duplication of the highway.

Transport for NSW has developed this business case for the Australian Government, in collaboration with Yass Valley Council who provided oversight and strategic direction and ensured the local community’s views were represented.

The business case identifies a staged approach to delivery as the most cost effective option for the highway’s current and future capacity requirements between the ACT-NSW border and Murrumbateman. The staged approach to duplication will support current and future traffic demands through the delivery of safety improvements and increased capacity.

View the Barton Highway duplication business case (PDF, 1Mb).

Transport for NSW is continuing discussions with landowners impacted by the Barton Highway upgrade. Property acquisition is continuing and we will contact you directly if we need to enter your property.

The project team is committed to creating a Barton Highway that will support the community now, and into the future.

We have prepared a strategic business case at the request of the Australian Government which looks at future population growth, transport needs and outlines planning priorities.

It proposes further duplication and investment based on a range of technical investigations that will best support the growth of the region.

To keep road users safe we will continue to promote safety campaigns, such as Towards Zero. Our campaigns target road safety issues such as driver fatigue and tail gating, speeding, driver distraction and roadwork safety, in cooperation with council and police.

We will continue to work with Yass Valley Council, property owners, residents, businesses and other key stakeholders during the planning and construction process.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome. We will keep the community informed about project progress on our website and Transport for NSW Facebook page, by distributing newsletters and holding information kiosks in local towns.

If you would like to be included in an email distribution group to receive information, please email barton.highway@transport.nsw.gov.au

• March 2023 project notification (PDF, 375.6 KB)
  Temporary traffic changes at Boundary Lane, Rolfe Road and Church Lane.
• August 2022 project notification (PDF, 407KB)

  Temporary traffic changes at Church Lane.

• July 2022 project notification (PDF, 407KB)

  Temporary traffic changes at Rolfe Road.

• April 2022 project notification (PDF, 488KB)
  Temporary traffic changes at Briarwood Lane, Nanima and Spring Range roads.

• June 2021 project notification (PDF, 321KB)
  Temporary traffic changes at Rolfe Road, Boundary Lane and Kaveneys Road from Tuesday 15 June 2021.

• January 2021 project notification (PDF, 165Kb)
  Early work continues on the Barton Highway.

• April 2020 project notification (PDF, 141Kb)
  Safety work on the Barton Highway and Yass Valley Way, from Thursday 30 April.

• December 2020 frequently asked questions

  Barton Highway upgrade package – Stage 1.

• June 2020 frequently asked questions
  Barton Highway upgrade package – Stage 1.

• November 2019 frequently asked questions
  Barton Highway upgrade package – Stage 1.

• October 2018 frequently asked questions
  Barton Highway upgrade package – Stage 1.

• Review of Environmental Factors

  Duplication of the Barton Highway from the ACT border towards Murrumbateman Review of Environmental Factors.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix A – Consideration of clause 228.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix B – Statutory consultation checklist.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix D - Traffic and Access Impact Assessment.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix E – Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix F – Biodiversity Assessment.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix H – Non Aboriginal Heritage Impact Assessment.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix I – Contamination.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix J – Water and Flooding Assessment.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix K – Barton Highway LCVIA.

• Review of Environmental Factors
  Appendix L – Socio-economic Impact Assessment.

• September 2020 submissions report

  Duplication of the Barton Highway from the ACT border towards Murrumbateman Submissions report.

• October 2019 duplication business case

  Barton Highway upgrade package – Stage 1.