Guanna Hill realignment

The Guanna Hill – Mitchell Highway upgrade officially opened to traffic on Thursday 25 October 2018.

Motorists are enjoying improved safety and faster travel times along the Mitchell Highway with the completion of the Guanna Hill project in October 2018.

The project involved realigning seven kilometres of the highway between Orange and Molong and included a new eastbound overtaking lane to improve safety and travel times.

This was originally a narrow section of the Mitchell Highway and was known for its high crash rate, lack of overtaking opportunities, tight curves and rough road surface.

The upgrade has meant improved safety by removing a number of dangerous crests and curves, improved travel times and traffic flow and provided a smoother road surface for all road users.

The Guanna Hill upgrade is critical to the community, with a large number of residents commuting to work daily between Molong and Orange.

We would like to thank motorists and nearby residents for their patience while this important work was carried out.

The Mitchell Highway forms part of the Sydney to Dubbo corridor. It is an important route for freight and livestock transporters, local commuters, tourism operators, caravanners and holiday makers.

A large number of people commute daily between Molong and Orange for employment and recreational activities. Heavy vehicles make up to about 16 per cent of the daily traffic.

This narrow section of the highway has a high crash rate, no overtaking opportunities, many tight curves and a rough road surface.

The Sydney to Dubbo corridor strategy 2007 identified continuing safety improvements as a short term priority in rural locations on the Mitchell Highway.

The project objectives include:

• Realigning the Mitchell Highway to include an overtaking lane to bring the highway up to 100 km/h standard.
• Reducing travel times.
• Providing a smooth road surface.
• Improving safety by reducing the crash rate.

Key features of the Guanna Hill realignment include:

• Construction of 7.2 kilometres of two-lane, two way rural road with a 100 km/h posted speed limit
• Provision of 3.5 metre wide lanes and two metre wide sealed shoulders (one metre when next to the overtaking lane)
• Provision of a 1.6 kilometre eastbound overtaking lane at the southern end of the road
• Protected right turn bays at the Strathmore Lane and Guanna Hill Lane intersections.

Transport for NSW is continuing consultation with affected residents and road users.

What types of issues has the community been consulted on?

The community has discussed many issues, including:

• Local school bus collection points during and after construction.
• Local and access roads.
• Property acquisitions.
• Noise and vibration levels during construction.
• Environmental issues.