The Australian and New South Wales governments are investing $15 million to progress planning work that will help cut congestion, reduce travel times and improve road safety at a major Hunter traffic bottleneck.
Currently, motorists face major travel time delays when navigating the junction of the M1 Pacific Motorway, John Renshaw Drive, Weakleys Drive and New England Highway at Beresfield.
These delays are driven by high traffic volumes, multiple traffic signals and a lack of road capacity.
The John Renshaw Drive project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments, with the Australian Government providing $12 million and the NSW Government providing $3 million.
The NSW Government will investigate upgrades to John Renshaw Drive including improvement options for the intersection of the M1 Motorway and Weakleys Drive; lane duplication of Weakleys Drive between Enterprise Drive and Canavan Drive; and access from Weakleys Drive to the New England Highway.
Once designed and delivered, the upgrades will reduce travel times for motorists and make movement of freight more efficient along a key part of the regional freight network which connects to the Port of Newcastle and Newcastle Airport.
Further traffic and economic modelling is being conducted to confirm what the proposed upgrades will include and the final design.
Timelines for construction will be dependent on further funding and planning approvals.
More information about the project is available here: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/jrdup
Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“These upgrades to John Renshaw Drive will improve safety and traffic flow for better travel times and more reliable trips, especially during peak periods.
“It will help meet current and future traffic demands in the area, as well as support the development of the proposed industrial areas and broader regional economy.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:
“John Renshaw Drive is a key connector between Maitland, Newcastle, Cessnock, Wallsend and the Upper Hunter.
“Upgrades to John Renshaw Drive will support the development of proposed industrial areas as well as the broader regional economy by providing more efficient access for commuters and heavy freight between the Lower and Upper Hunter and to key regional employment areas such as the Port of Newcastle and Newcastle Airport.
“This incredibly important planning is one of several projects, including M1 to Raymond Terrace and Hexham Straight Widening, we are undertaking to address current and predicted traffic growth at the critical strategic junction of the M1 Motorway, Pacific and New England highways.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson:
“The Australian and NSW governments are proud to be getting the ball rolling on upgrading John Renshaw Drive & Weakleys Drive which will improve connectivity, road transport efficiency and safety for many motorists.
“We are planning for a more reliable, less congested road network in one of the fastest growing areas of NSW. This is essential for local residents in and across Maitland, Thornton and Beresfield. We need better infrastructure and to build greater capacity in the network where it links to the M1 Pacific Motorway”
Quotes attributable to State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery:
“This area of the Hunter is growing rapidly which is why we need to ensure our infrastructure is up to shape.
“I’m looking forward to seeing solutions which will ensure the best possible road network for our regional travellers while also minimising traffic delays for our local commuters.”
