Rankin Park to Jesmond - Newcastle Inner City Bypass

Another key milestone has been achieved on the Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass with the installation of a steel arch pedestrian bridge at the northern interchange.

Once the interchange at Jesmond opens to traffic, this new bridge will connect shared paths on Newcastle Road and Illoura Street, providing pedestrians and cyclists an uninterrupted journey over the on- and off-ramps and under the bypass.

Find out more on our interactive portal.
 

On Monday 7 July, motorists started travelling over the new bridge structure and were switched to the new signalised intersection at Lookout Road and McCaffrey Drive.

There are changes to traffic movements. Those on McCaffrey Drive connecting to Lookout Road to travel north, and vice versa, will now continue straight at the signals. Those on McCaffrey Drive turning right on to Lookout Road to travel south, will temporarily use what will be the final northbound off ramp. The switch will be in place until the bypass is open to traffic.

Take a look at our fly-through videos on the design map on our interactive portal. 

On 17 December the project marked a significant milestone, with motorists will be switched from the Jesmond roundabout at Newcastle Road to a signalised intersection beneath the future bypass.

For more information, take a look at the latest news item on our interactive portal.

The Newcastle Inner City Bypass Rankin Park to Jesmond project has hit a major milestone with the first of the project’s 42 precast girders lifted into position over the Jesmond roundabout.

For more information, take a look at the latest news item on our interactive portal.

From late March, the project team will complete drilling and low impact controlled blasting.

For up-to-date information on dates and timing of planned blasts, please check our interactive portal.

View our latest project update to find out more about the work completed this year and what is coming up in 2024.

View our latest project update (PDF, 1.53 MB) to learn more about the project including project progress, work underway and upcoming work.

Major construction has now started on the project.

The Newcastle Inner City Bypass is part of Transport for NSW's long-term strategy to provide an orbital road within Newcastle’s road network to connect the Pacific Highway at Bennetts Green with the Pacific Highway at Sandgate.

The Rankin Park to Jesmond project is the fifth section of the Bypass.

A shared path bridge over Newcastle Road was completed in early 2021 as early work on the project. The next stage of early work started in February 2021, with the demolition and site clearing of a number of Transport for NSW owned properties on Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights.

Relocation of major utilities and preliminary road work on Lookout Road and McCaffrey Drive was completed in August 2022, which will help to accelerate work at the southern interchange when major work starts.

In July 2022, a design and construct contract was awarded to Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd who will finalise the detailed design for the bypass. Major construction started in March 2023.

The Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass will provide traffic relief to the surrounding road network, in particular the existing route of Lookout Road, Croudace Street and Newcastle Road, which is currently used by about 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles each day. The new bypass will remove up to 30,000 vehicles each day from this route.

When completed, motorists travelling north-south on the new section of bypass would avoid up to 11 sets of traffic lights along the existing route, which is expected to reduce travel times by up to 80 per cent during the morning and afternoon peaks.

Connectivity for the John Hunter Hospital precinct will be improved with a full interchange on the bypass providing access for the hospital from the north and south. This will help to improve access for staff, patients and visitors travelling to the hospital precinct.

Other key benefits include:

• Safety will be improved on the surrounding road network with crashes predicted to reduce by around a third.
• Additional connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists will help to support active transport across the Newcastle region.

The project involves building a 3.4 kilometre four-lane divided road including:

• a northern interchange at Newcastle Road
• an interchange providing access to John Hunter Hospital precinct
• a southern interchange at Lookout Road
• structures provided along the bypass to support connectivity in the bushland for people and animals
• off-road provisions for pedestrians and cyclists including a shared path bridge over Newcastle Road at Jesmond.

A concept design and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was developed to identify potential environmental, social and economic impact during construction and operation. The concept design was completed in March 2018. The Department of Planning and Environment placed the EIS on public exhibition between 16 November and 16 December 2016.

The Submissions and Preferred Infrastructure Report (SPIR) was prepared following public exhibition of the EIS to address all issues raised and provide responses. The SPIR was lodged with the Department of Planning & Environment on 28 June 2018.

The project received environmental approval from the Minister for Planning on 15 February 2019. More information is available in our Project Documents.

EIS modification proposal approval

Transport for NSW submitted a modification proposal for the Rankin Park to Jesmond project which was displayed by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) in June last year for feedback from the community, stakeholders and government agencies.

The proposal sought permission to use four additional compound sites identified outside the existing project area at Cardiff Heights, Kotara, Shortland and New Lambton. The additional compound sites were sought after a previously identified and approved site within the project area adjacent to John Hunter Hospital was significantly reduced in usable size.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has approved the modification proposal to use three of the additional compound sites, with some new conditions.

In September 2022, Transport determined the additional sites on Peatties Road at Garden Suburb and Main Road/Marshall Street at Cardiff Heights will no longer be used for the project.

Following further consideration Transport and Fulton Hogan has selected a site for the project’s main offices and compound site. The site is located behind the Mater Hospital at Waratah on the old water reservoir site accessed via Platt Street.

The main compound site will be operating from November 2022 until completion of the project.

We will continue to keep the community and key stakeholders informed as work progresses for the Rankin Park to Jesmond bypass project. Major construction work started in March 2023 and the bypass is expected to open to traffic in 2025, weather permitting.

• 22 July 2025 - Pedestrian and cyclist bridge installed at Newcastle Inner City Bypass northern interchange
• 27 December 2024 - Milestone for Newcastle Inner City Bypass with first major traffic switch
• 28 May 2024 - Newcastle Inner City Bypass marks major milestone
• 13 July 2023 - Hive of Activity on new section of the Newcastle City Bypass
• 6 March 2023 - Major work starts on Newcastle project
• 21 July 2022 - Contract awarded to build fifth stage of Newcastle Inner City Bypass
• 25 September 2021 - Tenders called for Newcastle Inner City Bypass
• 14 May 2021 - More jobs for Newcastle in next stage of bypass