Sections of the Snowy Mountains Highway will be widened to give vehicles of all sizes more room. Photo: Supplied.
Multiple sections of the Snowy Mountains Highway will be widened to provide more space for light and heavy vehicles to co-exist on the road.
The works will include widening the left-turn lane eastbound at Kosciuszko Road and installing safety barriers.
Member for Monaro Steve Whan said the upgrades would have benefits for people travelling or working across the wider region.
“As the gateway to the Snowy Mountains region, this highway is the key arterial route between Cooma and Jindabyne or Tumut, servicing high volumes of tourist and visitor traffic during winter, providing access to the Selwyn Snow Resort from the southeast.
“These upgrades will go a long way to providing a much safer journey for all motorists and improving the travel experience for everyone in our beautiful region.”
Work to widen and seal one kilometre of southbound shoulders has begun, and is expected to be completed by the end of May if weather permits.
All roadworks will be carried out weekdays between 7 am and 6 pm, and Saturdays between 8 am and 1 pm.
Federal Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain said the upgrades would be delivered as a partnership between the federal and state government.
The upgrades will be funded through $400,000 from the Australian Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, and $900,000 from the NSW Government’s Network Efficiency Program.
“We know during our peak snow seasons the highway really is bumper to bumper – which is why widening multiple sections of the road will make it safer for motorists to pass turning vehicles,” Ms McBain said.
As an access route for Snowy 2.0, there has been a noticeable increase in traffic along the stretch of the Snowy Mountains Highway near Pine Valley, including frequent heavy vehicle movements.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said the upgrades would help manage this increased traffic load.
“The NSW and Australian Labor Governments are working together and getting on with the job of improving road safety in our regional communities,” she said.
“The investments we are making will reduce the likelihood of rear end crashes and reduce congestion on this busy highway.
“I thank Ministers McBain and Whan for their ongoing advocacy and efforts on behalf of their communities to secure vital road safety investments like this.”
Original Article published by Claire Sams on About Regional.
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