Ongoing upgrades of the Mitchell Highway are already delivering safer journeys between Bathurst and Orange in the New South Wales central west, with new wire rope barriers preventing dozens of potential crashes.
Work on the $95.9 million safety upgrades of the 50-kilometre section of highway started in 2018.
So far it has included work at East Lucknow (completed in July 2018), Oakey Creek Lane (October 2019), Guyong (September 2022), Vittoria East and East Guyong (December 2023), and Vittoria Curve (May 2024).
The installation of flexible wire rope, when placed along the centreline of the road, provides a physical barrier between oncoming traffic travelling at up to 100 km/h in each direction.
Work has also started to install a dedicated turning lane at a crash hot spot at the intersection with Pretty Plains Road, due for completion in July.
Along with flexible wire barriers – which can also be placed on the edges of the road – the Mitchell Highway upgrades also feature a range of safety measures including the installation of audio tactile line marking (rumble strips) to alert drivers when they have crossed the centre line or run off the road.
As well, roads have been widened, there are new and upgraded turning lanes, improved drainage and removal of some roadside vegetation to decrease the risk of black ice during the winter months.
The Mitchell Highway Bathurst to Orange safety upgrades have been jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
