Monaro Highway safety upgrade

The final safety improvement project under the Monaro Highway upgrade program came to a temporary stop over the winter season. With warmer and drier conditions returning, work will restart in late October to deliver improved drainage, widened shoulders and centrelines, audio tactile line marking and new safety barrier along the Monaro Highway between Burnima Road and 600 metres north of Rifle Range Road.

Work will begin on Tuesday 28 October and is expected to take up to seven months to complete, weather permitting. Work will be carried out on weekdays between 7am and 5pm with some work required on Saturdays between 7am to 5pm.

Single lane closures under a stop/slow arrangement and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place to maintain traffic movements during the work.
Transport will keep the community updated with important details as the project progresses.

For more information on the work, view the October Notification Letter (PDF, 241.76 KB).

The NSW Government has committed $20 million to deliver a program of safety and efficiency upgrades on the Monaro Highway.

Monaro Highway forms part of the key freight, commuter and recreational route between the Snowy Mountains region and the ACT through to Sydney and surrounds. This is also the key route used by Transport customers travelling to the NSW snow fields. Within NSW, the Monaro Highway is approximately 205 kilometres long and travels through the Snowy-Monaro Regional Council local government area.

Stage 1 of works saw construction of a new roundabout at the Polo Flat Road intersection. With a contribution from Snowy Hydro, the intersection upgrade supports access for construction activities on the Snowy 2.0 project.

Stage 2 of the upgrade program includes:

• safety treatments, including widened centrelines, widened shoulders, audio tactile line marking (also known as rumble strips) and roadside safety barrier at select locations at the following sites:
  • south of Nimmitabel
  • north of Bombala
• widened centreline between ACT and Cooma at sites within this length that do not yet have this treatment (~50 kms)
• roadside safety improvements between Rock Flat and Nimmitabel, including shoulder widening and barrier at select locations
• installation of town gateway treatments for Bredbo, Cooma, Nimmitabel, and Bombala, consisting of signs, pavement markings and lane narrowing to encourage safer driving speeds when entering a rural town.

Stage three of the safety improvements between Rock Flat and Nimmitabel, and the northbound overtaking lane north of Bredbo will be developed as a delivery ready project for future funding opportunities. 

This project is aligned to safety and performance outcomes of Future Transport 2056 as it intends to provide customers with a safer road network and improve the efficient mobility and access of general traffic and road-based public transport along the Monaro Highway in terms of improving travel times and level of service.

Future Transport 2056 was released in March 2018.

Upgraded sections of the Monaro Highway will target an AusRAP rating of 3-stars or higher, which is expected to have a 60 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes and help realise the Towards Zero outcome from NSW Road Safety Plan 2021.

AusRAP is part of a globally recognised Road Assessment Program (RAP).  It is used to assess road attributes that are known to have an impact on the likelihood and severity of a crash. Star assessments range from 1 - 5. Road safety treatments such as separation of opposing traffic by a wide median, audio tactile line marking, sealed shoulders and roadside barrier to protect from hazards such as trees, poles and embankments close to the roadside are measures to increase star ratings and improve road safety.

Safety improvements along the Monaro Highway between Cooma and the ACT border are now complete. The improvement work included the delivery of a modified widened centreline treatment, which included the installation of audio tactile line marking.

By upgrading sections of the corridor to the improved 3-Star AusRAP target, these safety improvements will reduce the frequency of fatal and serious injury crashes on the Monaro Highway. They will also improve corridor efficiency for all road users and enhance corridor resilience.

The first stage of safety improvements along the Monaro Highway between Rock Flat to Nimmitabel is complete. The project included installing more than six kilometres of new safety barriers at various locations along the stretch of highway.

The second stage of work has seen the installation of widened shoulders, improved drainage and safety barrier on the Monaro Highway, about three kilometres north of Stanton Street at Nimmitabel. The final work at this location will include pavement resurfacing.

Work on the project has come to a temporary stop over the winter season as cooler weather conditions across the south and south-western region of NSW prevent some road construction activities from being carried out effectively. Low temperatures, increased rainfall and snow can affect pavement materials from setting/curing and becoming water-resistant, which can result in pavement failures like potholes.

Work will recommence in early 2026, weather permitting. We will continue to keep the community informed as planning for the final stage of work progresses.

Single lane closures under a stop/slow arrangement and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place for the safety of workers and motorists until the project is complete.

By upgrading sections of the corridor to the improved 3-Star AusRAP target, these safety improvements will reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injury crashes on the Monaro Highway. They will also improve corridor efficiency for all road users and enhance corridor resilience.

Stage two of the Monaro Highway upgrade program started on Monday 15 April with the installation of new speed zone signage, improved road markings and lane upgrades at nine town entry points located:

• north and south of Bredbo
• north, south and west of Cooma
• north and south of Nimmitabel
• north and south of Bombala.

The installation of these safety upgrades is now complete and will improve corridor efficiency for all road users and enhance corridor resilience.  

Safety improvements along the Monaro Highway south of Nimmitabel began on 23 September 2024 with the first stage of work delivering improved drainage, new kerb and gutter and safety barrier.

Work on the project has come to a temporary stop over the winter season as cooler weather conditions across the south and south-western region of NSW prevented some road construction activities from being carried out effectively. Low temperatures, increased rainfall and snow can affect pavement materials from setting/curing, leading to water resistance, which can result in pavement failures like potholes.

Work is expected to restart before the end of the year to deliver the final road resurfacing, widened centreline treatment and audio tactile line marking, weather permitting. 

Single lane closures under a stop/slow arrangement and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place for the safety of workers and motorists until the project is complete.

By upgrading sections of the corridor to the improved 3-Star AusRAP target, these safety improvements will reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injury crashes on the Monaro Highway. They will also improve corridor efficiency for all road users and enhance corridor resilience.

The minor works REF has been published and can be accessed on the Regional Projects - Environmental Assessments page.

The safety improvements north of Bombala will be the final project under the Monaro Highway upgrade program. The work will deliver improved drainage, widened shoulders, widened centrelines, audio tactile line marking and safety barrier along the Monaro Highway between Burnima Road and 600 metres north of Rifle Range Road.

Work originally started on Monday 23 June. However, the project came to a temporary stop over winter to ensure the road construction activities would not be impacted by extended periods of cold and wet conditions. 

With warmer and drier conditions returning, work will restart on Tuesday 28 October between 7am and 5pm on weekdays and 7am to 5pm on Saturdays (if required) for seven months, weather permitting.

Single lane closures under a stop/slow arrangement and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place to maintain traffic movements during the work.

By upgrading sections of the corridor to the improved 3-Star AusRAP target, these safety improvements will reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injury crashes on the Monaro Highway. They will also improve corridor efficiency for all road users and enhance corridor resilience.

The minor works REF has been published and can be accessed on the Regional Projects - Environmental Assessment page.

• October 2025 - Safety improvements restart on the Monaro Highway north of Bombala (PDF, 241.76 KB)
• June 2025 - Safety improvements north of Bombala (PDF, 46.19 MB)
  Project update detailing work location, impact and work dates and hours.

• 18 June 2025 - Final stages of upgrades on the way for the Kings and Monaro Highways