Hunter Region motorists are sampling the first small section of the Singleton Bypass, with traffic switched onto a newly built section of road on the future Southern Connection today.
The latest traffic switch, between White Falls Lane and just past Newington Lane, is one of several staged changes ahead of the bypass opening later this year.
At the southern connection, motorists heading out of Singleton on the New England Highway are now using a newly built southbound on-ramp, while northbound traffic is being diverted onto an off-ramp that passes beneath one of the project’s new bridges.
Vehicles on the New England Highway will travel approximately one kilometre in each direction of newly built ramps of the Singleton Bypass project.
“This is great news for Singleton and the Hunter,” said NSW Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley.
“The Singleton Bypass is just one of the major investments the Minns Labor Government is delivering for the Hunter – including more than $5 billion worth of new roads and transport infrastructure.
“Once complete, the Singleton Bypass will mean fewer trucks in the heart of town, safer local roads and better connections for the people who live, work and raise a family in Singleton.”
Backed by a $560 million investment from the Federal Government and $140 million from the NSW Government, the $700 million Singleton Bypass is a commitment to making journeys down the New England Highway safer and more efficient.
Once complete, this project will remove up to 15,000 vehicles a day from Singleton’s main street, slash travel times and allow motorists to bypass five sets of traffic lights.
“By taking around 15,000 vehicles out of Singleton’s town centre, we’re making local streets safer, quieter and more accessible for the people who live and work here every day,” said NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison.
“This is one of the biggest infrastructure investments Singleton has ever seen, and it’s going to make a real difference to the daily lives of this community for generations to come.”
The eight-kilometre bypass will run from near Newington Lane in the south to just past Magpie Street in the north, featuring a full interchange at Putty Road and key connections to the New England Highway at the southern and northern ends at Gowrie.
Major progress has already been made, with all six bridges nearing completion – including the 1.6-kilometre structure across the Hunter Floodplain – while crews push ahead with pavements, interchanges and final works across the corridor.
With more traffic switches to come, the project remains on track to open later this year.
More information is available at https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/singleton-bypass-new-england-highway.
An interactive map of the project, including indicative changes to the road alignment around the Southern Connection is available here: Map | Singleton Bypass | Transport for NSW (RMS).
