Monaro Highway safety upgrade

Motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions on the Monaro Highway as the second safety improvement project under the Monaro Highway upgrade starts.
Work will be carried out from Rock Flat to Nimmitabel from 7am to 5pm on weekdays from Monday 10 July. This work will be carried out intermittently until early 2025, weather permitting. 
 
Single lane closures, traffic control and a reduced speed limit of 60 km/h will be in place during work as roadside safety barrier is installed.

Safety improvement work is now complete between Cooma and the ACT border as part of the Monaro Highway upgrade program. This included the installation of audio tactile linemarking (ATLM) and widened centreline treatments.

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 km 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 of the Snowy 2.0 project.

Stage 2 of the upgrade program includes:

• A new northbound overtaking lane north of Bredbo
• Safety treatments including widened centrelines, widened shoulders, audio tactile line marking 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.

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.

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.

Upgraded sections of the Monaro Highway will target an AusRAP rating of 3-stars or higher, which is expected to have a 60% 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.

Overtaking lanes can improve journey time and user experience. The new overtaking lane will enable safer passing opportunities and reduce the risk of crashes. This will help support regional economic growth by promoting tourism and freight traffic on the Monaro Highway.

ACT to Cooma widened centreline safety improvements

Safety improvements along the Monaro Highway will take place between Cooma to the ACT border and will include the delivery of a modified widened centreline treatment which includes the installation of audio tactile line marking (ATLM).

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.
 

• $20 million safety upgrades on Monaro Highway
  2 February 2023.