Little Hartley to Lithgow - Great Western Highway Upgrade Program

Reviewed

Together, the Australian Government and the NSW Government are investing more than $4.5 billion towards upgrading the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow.

The Katoomba to Lithgow duplication will provide major economic and safety benefits. It will improve the connection between Central West NSW and Sydney, reduce congestion, improve resilience and freight productivity, and provide a safer and more reliable journey for thousands of residents, commuters, tourists and freight operators who travel in, around and through the Blue Mountains.

Transport for NSW will upgrade around 14 kilometres of the Great Western Highway between Little Hartley and Lithgow to a safer, four-lane divided carriageway. The project will be managed by Transport and jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments.

The construction contract for the initial stage of works at Coxs River Road has been awarded to Ertech, with work expected to start in March 2023.

Latest news

Feb 2023 - Great Western Highway contract award for Coxs River Road upgrade at Little Hartley

Main works are set to start on the Little Hartley to Lithgow section of the Great Western Highway upgrade with Ertech awarded the contract for the main works at Cox Rivers Road.

View the media release for more information.

Dec 2022 - East and West sections of Great Western Highway Upgrade

The NSW Government wants to hear from the community to finetune the design for the East and West sections of the Great Western Highway Upgrade.

View the media release for more information.

Sep 2022 - Coxs River Road Upgrade early works contract awarded

Countdown to the start of work on Great Western Highway upgrade

The countdown is on to the start of work on the Little Hartley to Lithgow section of the Great Western Highway upgrade with Ausconnex awarded the contract to carry out early works at Coxs River Road.

View the media release for more information.

 

Interactive portal

To learn more about this project, view our interactive portal for more information.

Project information

Background

The NSW Government first announced an upgrade from Mount Victoria to Lithgow in May 2008.

Transport worked closely with the community from 2008 to 2013 to develop the concept design for the upgrade of the Great Western Highway between Mount Victoria and Lithgow.

The local community was involved in consultation sessions, workshops and field surveys to help determine a preferred upgrade route. A concept design was completed in 2013 and the selected road corridor was reserved in the Local Environmental Plans for the Blue Mountains and Lithgow City councils.

In March 2019, the NSW Government committed $2.5 billion towards upgrading the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow. Transport consulted with the local community along the entire corridor in November and December 2019.

In the 2021 Federal budget, the Australian Government committed $2.03 billion towards the delivery of the eastern and western sections of the upgrade, including the section between Little Hartley and Lithgow.

Throughout 2020/21 the project team consulted with residents living near major intersections on the highway between Little Hartley and Lithgow to further refine and improve elements of the concept design. This consultation resulted in improvements to the concept design completed in 2013.

The broader community and other stakeholders throughout NSW were invited to provide comment on the Little Hartley to Lithgow REF and concept design from 23 November 2021 to 16 January 2022. Feedback provided is summarised and responded to in the Submissions Report and will be used to refine and improve the design further.

Benefits

The Little Hartley to Lithgow upgrade will use modern design standards to improve safety by separating carriageways, reducing gradients and straightening curves as much as possible.

Two lanes in either direction will provide opportunities to overtake safely and allow installation of median treatments, which help prevent head on collisions. A third westbound lane on River Lett Hill will provide opportunities to overtake slower vehicles safely.

Intersections with local roads will be upgraded to include deceleration and acceleration lanes for safer entry and exit from the highway. Additional local access and service roads will be provided, reducing the need for local traffic to travel along the highway. The number of right turn movements across the highway, which increase the risk of an accident, will be reduced from approximately 50 to seven.

Crash reduction analysis indicates the upgrade would reduce the number of crashes on the  Great Western Highway between Little Hartley and Lithgow by 57 per cent.

Features

Key features of the concept design include:

  • upgrade of around 14 kilometres of the Great Western Highway between Little Hartley and Lithgow to a safer four lane divided highway
  • provision of service roads for local traffic
  • safer, controlled access onto the highway
  • provision of two heavy/light vehicle rest areas
  • new bridges to allow safer, separated intersections for local traffic
  • upgrade of the existing bridge over River Lett
  • provision of a westbound climbing (third) lane on River Lett Hill.

Next steps

An early works program will involve relocation of utility services at Coxs River Road prior to construction commencing. Road works at Coxs River Road are expected to start in early 2023.

We will continue to build and maintain relationships with the community and stakeholders throughout all phases of the Little Hartley to Lithgow upgrade, and will continue to update the community as the project progresses.

Community information

Community consultations

Little Hartley to Lithgow (West section) updated concept design consultation
October 2022 – November 2022

Transport for NSW displayed an updated concept design for the upgrade of the Great Western Highway between the base of Mount Victoria and Coxs River Road, Little Hartley for community feedback from 24 October to 20 November 2022. Engagement included an online and a face-to-face information session. Feedback provided during the display will be addressed as part of the Addendum REF process, and responses will be provided in a Community Consultation Report.

The updated concept design can be viewed on the project interactive web portal.

Little Hartley to Lithgow (West Section) Review of Environmental Factors consultation November 2021 – January 2022

The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and concept design for the Little Hartley to Lithgow (West Section) upgrade was released for community consultation on 23 November 2021, with consultation continuing to 16 January 2022. The engagement included six community information sessions, which were a mixture of online and COVIDSafe face-to-face sessions.

Submissions have been categorised and formally responded to in the Little Hartley to Lithgow (West Section) Submissions Report. Transport has also prepared a Consultation Report summarising the community engagement carried out during the REF display period. Both reports were released on 29 June and can be viewed and downloaded from the project interactive web portal.

Concept design consultation – 2020-2021

Throughout 2020/21 the project team consulted with residents living near major intersections on the highway between Little Hartley and Lithgow to further refine and improve elements of the concept design.

Consultation primarily focused on improving road safety and intersection treatments, ensuring a high level of local access for residents, and early engagement with affected property owners. This resulted in improvements to the concept design completed in 2013.

Katoomba to Lithgow strategic design consultation November - December 2019

The strategic design for the upgrade of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow was released for community consultation on 07 November 2019, with consultation continuing to 16 December 2019. The engagement included nine community information sessions, two pop up displays and one public meeting held along the corridor at locations including Katoomba, Medlow Bath, Blackheath, Mount Victoria, Hartley and Lithgow. The sessions were attended by 1350 people and 1759 items of feedback were received by the project team. You can view or download the community consultation summary report (PDF, 18.5Mb).

Mount Victoria to Lithgow consultation – 2008-2013

Transport for NSW worked closely with the community from 2008 to 2013 to develop the concept design for the upgrade of the Great Western Highway between Mount Victoria and Lithgow. The local community was involved in consultation sessions, workshops and field surveys to help determine a preferred upgrade route.

As part of the concept development, a corridor through Newnes Plateau was investigated but was ruled out as it required land needed by the Department of Defence at Marangaroo. Other alignments to the north and south were also considered, but were much longer and the terrain more challenging than the preferred option through the Hartley Valley.

View or download the Mount Victoria to Lithgow reports.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

 

Subscribe to project updates

We will send regular email updates to people interested in this project.

Email us on gwhd@transport.nsw.gov.au to be added to our subscription list or phone 1800 953 777.

 

Project documents

Some documents on this page may not comply with accessibility requirements (WCAG).

If you are having trouble accessing information in these documents, please contact us.

 

Community notifications

Project notifications

Reports

Factsheets

Media releases

 

  • 3 February 2023
    Great Western Highway contract award for Coxs River Road upgrade at Little Hartley
  • 24 October 2022

    East and West sections of Great Western Highway Upgrade near final design.

  • 14 September 2022
    Countdown to the start of work on Great Western Highway upgrade.

  • 30 June 2022
    Extra protections for River Lett Platypus population as part of Great Western Highway upgrade plans.

  • 22 April 2022
    Coxs River Road interchange to be the new gateway to the central west.

  • 13 December 2021
    More time for feedback on Little Hartley to Lithgow plans.

  • 23 November 2022
    Have your say on the Great Western Highway upgrade from Little Hartley to Lithgow.

  • 31 August 2021
    Preservation of Aboriginal heritage a key part of Blue Mountains Highway upgrade.

  • 14 June 2021
    Great Western Highway upgrade powering ahead.

  • 4 June 2021
    Archaeological dig to explore Aboriginal connection to Blue Mountains.

  • 18 December 2020
    Contracts awarded for Great Western Highway upgrade works.

  • 13 May 2020
    Locals have their say on Great Western Highway upgrade.

  • 7 November 2019
    Have your say on Great Western Highway.

  • 11 March 2019
    Green light for $2.5 billion Great Western Highway duplication.

Mount Victoria to Lithgow reports

 

Contact us

For further information about this project, please contact:

Phone: 1800 953 777

Email: gwhd@transport.nsw.gov.au

Post: Great Western Highway Upgrade Program - PO Box 334, Parkes NSW 2870.

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