Newell Highway at Grong Grong improvements

The project involved building a new two-lane 2.7-kilometre long section of highway west of Grong Grong. The new road featured turning lanes at intersections to provide access into Grong Grong.

The project also included maintenance work on the existing highway as well as street lighting, town improvements and a signposting scheme to attract passing traffic into the town.

The Newell Highway is an important road link for freight between Queensland and Victoria and regional centres in western NSW. About 600 heavy vehicles, 32 per cent of all traffic, travel the Newell Highway through Grong Grong daily.

This figure is predicted to increase by 77 per cent to 1060 trucks per day by 2031.

The majority of the Newell Highway has a posted speed limit of 110 km/h. Before the realignment, the highway in Grong Grong included a 90-degree bend at the intersection with Junee and Berrembed streets with advisory bend speed limit of 35km/h.

There were several truck roll overs at this intersection. On average there was previously one crash each year with the majority involving heavy vehicles.

The old road design through Grong Grong reduced traffic efficiency and increased travel time, particularly for heavy vehicles. The highway needed upgrading to safely cater for heavy vehicles and to enable access for longer heavy vehicles, such as road trains, carrying larger loads.

The realignment project also improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists and included suitable signposting to encourage motorists to stop and rest in town.

• Improved road safety

• Improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists

• Reduced the cost of transporting goods on trucks

• Reduced traffic noise in Grong Grong

• Provided consistent travel speeds

• Reduced travel time

• Allowed provision for growth in freight and other traffic that is forecast to occur over the next 20 years.

The proposed concept design and review of environmental factors were displayed for community comment in April and May 2015. Comments closed on Friday 15 May and five submissions were received.

Transport published a submissions report summarising the comments, responses, changes to the proposal and details of the environmental measures and safeguards. View the Submissions Report in the Project Documents section.

The project received planning approval in September 2015.

See the project's Environmental Protection Licence.

GMC Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd, of Mullengandra, carried out landscaping work along the upgrade of the Newell Highway at Grong Grong as part of the realignment project.

About 82 avenue trees were planted at two intersections, as well as more than 6600 Australian native trees and shrubs. In addition, Transport helped plant 340 native plants and built gravel access tracks at the Grong Grong Earth Park.

During 2011 Transport for NSW asked for community comment on four potential design options to move the Newell Highway to the outskirts of Grong Grong.

Road designs closer to town were investigated however these options either kept the speed limit at 60km/h, cut through areas of woodland or impacted existing homes.

• September 2014 - Community Update

  Improvements to the Newell Highway at Grong Grong.

• 2014 - Questions and Answers

• September 2014 - Central access map

  Map of central access.

• September 2014 - North access map

  Map of north access.

• September 2014 - West access map

  Map of west access.

• April 2017 - Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
• April 2015 - Review of Environmental Factors
• April 2018 - Review of Environmental Factors appendices

• September 2015 - Submissions report

  Realignment of the Newell Highway at Grong Grong Submissions Report.