Katoomba to Mount Victoria Safety Upgrade - Safety Improvement Upgrades - Great Western Highway Upgrade Program

Reviewed

Project overview

The Australian and New South Wales governments are upgrading the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow for easier, faster and safer travel between Katoomba and Lithgow.

Project information

Background

Transport for NSW has completed the safety upgrade work at Blackheath. We have been improving road safety in Blackheath by widening the highway shoulders and providing dedicated turn lanes and other safety work.

This was the final section of work to be delivered under the $250 million Katoomba to Lithgow safety upgrades package. Road users are experiencing safer journeys and improved travel times from completed upgrades open to traffic at Forty Bends, Hartley Valley, Mount Victoria village and Blackheath.

Transport for NSW prepared a Review of Environmental Factors to examine the potential impacts of the proposed upgrade to the Great Western Highway, Katoomba to Mount Victoria, and outline measures to reduce and manage the impacts. More than 100 submissions were received after the display of the Katoomba to Mount Victoria Review of Environmental Factors in early 2016.

Benefits

The safety upgrade has improved traffic flow and road user safety at a number of intersections along the Great Western Highway, including the major intersection in Blackheath of the Great Western Highway, Govetts Leap Road and Bundarra Street.

The final design for the intersection includes right and left turn bays to:

  • reduce the chance of rear end crashes by moving vehicles waiting to turn right out of the path of through traffic
  • improve traffic flow, allowing drivers to travel through Blackheath at a consistent and safer speed.

Community information

Community consultations

As a result of community feedback, the project has been through a series of design refinements which considered environmental impact and available funding, while meeting the objective to improve safety along the route.

Transport for NSW acknowledges community feedback about the work proposed for the Hill 33 area between Hargraves and Jellicoe streets. As a result of this feedback Transport for NSW met with local community group representatives to hear further feedback about how we can improve the urban design appearance of the road cutting on the southern side of the highway.

The revised proposal includes extensive planting of shrubs behind the kerb to screen the cutting from view and maintain the bush land character in this area. Every effort has been made to minimise the loss of trees associated with the road safety upgrade.

Following completion of the highway safety upgrade the project area has been landscaped with trees, shrubs and ground covers. The landscape design aims to retain the qualities of the Blue Mountains highway experience.

The upgrade is now open to traffic.

Project documents

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Project notifications

Project updates

Media releases
  • February 2021

    Highway history to be preserved for future generations.

Contact us

For further information about this project, please contact:

Phone: 1800 167 499

Email: western.projects@transport.nsw.gov.au