Parkes Bypass

Construction of the Southern connection of the Parkes Bypass to the existing Newell Highway is commencing, and an 800-metre section of the existing highway, near Barkers Road, south of Parkes will be under traffic control from Wednesday 31 May 2023 until late July 2024, weather permitting.

Read more in the notification (PDF, 535.23 KB).

Transport for NSW in partnership with head contractor Georgiou Group invites the community to learn more about what's happening on the Parkes Bypass project.

Have a chat to our project team at our community drop-in sessions on 16 and 17 May.

Read the postcard invitation (PDF, 282.25 KB).

Find out more about Naturally Occurring Asbestos on the Parkes Bypass project in the latest Community Information (PDF, 646.89 KB) and read the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 3.13 MB).

Areas containing Naturally Occurring Asbestos have been identified on the Parkes Bypass construction site. Read more in the community information letter (PDF, 893Kb).

From October 10 2022, lane closures will be in place on Brolgan Road for up to 14 weeks.

Read more in the notification letter (PDF 712Kb).

Transport for NSW proposes to build a new 10.5-kilometre bypass on the western outskirts of Parkes to reduce travel time, improve freight productivity and efficiency, pedestrian access through Parkes and traffic flow.

We are delivering this work as part of the $520 million Newell Highway upgrade program to support the interstate freight industry, provide economic growth, and improve access and safety along a vital transport corridor in New South Wales.

The upgrade would involve relocating the highway about two kilometres west, between Maguire Road to the north and Barkers Road to the south - a total length of 10.5 kilometres. The bypass would remove up to 1200 trucks per day from local streets and improve safety for motorists.

The Parkes Bypass will improve:

• Freight efficiency and productivity
• Access for high productivity vehicles (double road trains, B-triples, AB triples) through Parkes as well as providing a link to existing road train routes to the west
• Safety of the railway level crossings
• Travel times at Forbes Road level crossing (near Hartigan Avenue) and the Welcome level crossing
• Pedestrian access in Parkes particularly across Bogan Street
• Access to the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.

The new highway west of Parkes will be about 10.5 kilometres long and key features include:
A two-lane road (one lane in each direction) with five key intersections including:

• Two T-intersections, north and south between the existing Newell Highway and the Bypass
• A split T-intersection at London Road
• A four-way roundabout at Condobolin Road
• A T-intersection with Bogan Road.

Two bridges:

• A bridge over two rail lines and Hartigan Ave
• A bridge over the Bypass on Victoria Street.

An extension of Hartigan Avenue (Henry Parkes Way) with intersection with Brolgan Road, Billy Mac Place and Condobolin Road.

Realignment, reconfiguration and changes to local roads including:

• Shifting part of Moulden Street to the west
• Maguire Road and Nock Road converted to cul-de-sacs
• New connection between Brolgan Road and Hartigan Avenue
• Connection between Thomas Street and Mitchell Street via the Reedsdale Road extension.

A new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists which will connect Brolgan Road, Condobolin Road and Victoria Street.

In September 2022, Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) was identified within the Parkes Bypass site, in two cuttings between Condobolin Road (Henry Parkes Way) and Painter Street, and in a cutting adjacent Brolgan Road.

In addition, prior to the identification of NOA on the project, material from the affected areas was used as general fill material in other locations across the project site.

Following the discovery of NOA at these sites, work was immediately stopped as a precautionary measure whilst an Asbestos Management Plan was finalised. The plan involves implementing controls that ensure the safety of workers and the public while conducting works in areas affected by NOA as well as ensuring that the site is remediated prior to completion of the project.

In February 2023, the Asbestos Management Plan was finalised in consultation with SafeWork and Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) allowing work in these NOA affected locations to recommence. The NOA affected material that is required to be removed in order to construct the project is being excavated out of the areas shown in red in the maps below, with all blasting now complete.

Read more about Naturally Occurring Asbestos in our latest update (PDF, 646.89 KB) and Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 3.13 MB).

Air monitoring devices have been installed in multiple locations to monitor the levels of asbestos in the air.

Transport takes its role in protecting the safety of the community very seriously and will continue to work closely with the EPA & SafeWork NSW in relation to the ongoing management of the site.

The results of these tests are available below.

• Air monitoring reports – May 2023 (PDF, 1.49 MB)
• Air monitoring reports – April 2023 (PDF, 1.83 MB)
• Air monitoring reports – March 2023 (PDF, 1.72 MB)
• Air monitoring reports – February 2023 (PDF, 856.63 KB)
• Air monitoring reports – January 2023 (PDF, 687.39 KB).
• Air monitoring reports – December 2022 – Part 2 (PDF 1.7Mb)
• Air monitoring reports – December 2022 – Part 1 (PDF, 523Kb)
• Air monitoring reports – September 2022 (PDF, 857Kb)
• Air monitoring reports – October 2022 (PDF, 1.11Mb)
• Air monitoring reports – November 2022 (PDF, 1.31Mb)

• May 2023 frequently asked questions (PDF, 3.13 MB)
• February 2020 frequently asked questions
• June 2019 frequently asked questions

• May 2023 community notification (PDF, 535.23 KB)
  Traffic changes on the Newell Highway, south of Parkes from Wednesday 31 May.
• March 2023 community notification (PDF, 520.89 KB)
  Temporary closure of Thomas Street, Parkes from Monday 20 March
• February 2023 community notification (PDF, 478.78 KB)
  Continued changed traffic conditions at Brolgan Road in Parkes until May 2023.
• February 2023 community notification (PDF, 417.73 KB)
  Changed traffic conditions at Bogan Road in Parkes from Monday 6 February.
• January 2023 community notification (PDF, 439.29 KB)
  Temporary changed traffic conditions for blasting on the Parkes Bypass from Thursday 23 February.
• December 2022 community notification

  Naturally Occurring Asbestos identified on the Parkes Bypass upgrade project.

• October 2022 community notification

  Naturally Occurring Asbestos identified on the Parkes Bypass upgrade project.

• October 2022 community notification
  Changed traffic conditions on Brolgan Road from Monday 10 October.

• September 2022 community notification
  Naturally ocurring asbestos identified on the Parkes Bypass upgrade project.

• September 2022 community notification
  Production blasting continues on the Parkes Bypass upgrade project from Thursday 8 September 2022.

• August 2022 community notification
  Night works on Wednesday 17 August 2022.

• August 2022 community notification
  Night work at Westlime Road and Brolgan Road intersection on Thursday 11 August.

• August 2022 community notification
  Traffic changes on Condobolin Road in Parkes from Wednesday 10 August.

• July 2022 community notification
  Night works at Condobolin Road and the Westlime Road and Brolgan Road intersection from Monday 18 July.

• July 2022 community notification
  Traffic changes on Hartigan Avenue and Brolgan Road, Parkes from Wednesday 20 July 2022.

• June 2022 community notification
  Controlled blasting on the Parkes Bypass project from Tuesday 14 June 2022.

• January 2021 community notification
  Road closure on Victoria Street, Parkes from Monday 31 January 2022.

• June 2021 Community notification
  1 June 2021 Works to commence on six high pressure gas protection concrete slabs within the Parkes Bypass corridor from Monday 21 June.

• June 2021 Community notification
  1 May 2021 There are changes happening in your area: Parkes Bypass boundary fencing commences Wednesday 2 June.

• June 2021 Community notification
  1 June 2021 Early works to commence on new local road between Brolgan Road and Hartigan Avenue from Wednesday 9 June.

• May 2023 community update (PDF, 3.25 MB)
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.
• May 2023 project update (PDF, 646.89 KB)
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.
• July 2022 project update

  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• August 2021 project update
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• January 2021 project update
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• December 2020 project update
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• July 2019 community update
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• December 2016 project update
  Newell Highway upgrade, Parkes Bypass.

• July 2019 project postcard
• July 2019 project poster

• Air monitoring reports – April 2023 (PDF, 1.83 MB)
• Air monitoring reports – March 2023 (PDF, 1.72 MB)
• Air monitoring reports – February 2023 (PDF, 856.63 KB)
• Air monitoring report – December 2022 – Part 2
• Air monitoring report – December 2022 – Part 1
• Air monitoring report – November 2022
• October 2022 air monitoring report – October 2022
• Air monitoring report – September 2022
• Operational Traffic Noise Assessment Report – November 2020
• Community consultation report – February 2020
• Submissions report – December 2019
• Community consultation report – December 2017

• March 2021 - Appendix C - Construction Noise and Vibration Assessment Report
• January 2021 - Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report

  Main report.

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix C - Landscape character and visual impact assessment, landscape concept and urban design report (October 2018).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix D - Traffic and transport assessment (October 2018).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix E - Operational road traffic noise and construction noise and vibration assessment report (January 2019).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix F - Socio-economic assessment (October 2018).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix G - Biodiversity assessment report (October 2018).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix H - Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal heritage assessment report (October 2018).

• July 2019 - Review of Environmental Factors Report
  Appendix I - Preliminary site investigation (October 2018).

• 15 June 2022

  1,200 trucks through Parkes a thing of the past thanks to bypass.

• 28 January 2022
  Victoria Street bridge next step for Parkes bypass.

• 15 November 2021
  First sod turned on $187 million Parkes Bypass.

• 25 August 2021
  Contract awarded for construction of Parkes Bypass.

• 22 July 2021
  Focus on local links in countdown to Parkes Bypass.

• 2 June 2021
  12Km of fencing, 12,000T of concrete for next stage of bypass build.

• 15 April 2021
  Local contractors called to help build Parkes Bypass.

• 18 March 2021
  Tenders invited for the Parkes Bypass.

• 2 September 2020
  Early work to power the Parkes Bypass.

• 14 February 2020
  Community shapes Parkes Bypass.

• 26 June 2019
  Have your say on proposed Parkes bypass.