Revealed: Feds commit $336M to Pacific Highway upgrade through Wyong

The first major cash splash of Tuesday’s federal budget has been announced for the Central Coast with $336 million committed for the Pacific Highway upgrade through Wyong. It comes as the site for Woy Woy’s long awaited commuter carpark is also announced.

The long awaited upgrade of the Pacific Highway to two lanes in each direction through Wyong inched closer with the Coalition Government to commit $336 million in next week’s federal budget.

Liberal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher visited Wyong on Thursday where he introduced the Coalition’s candidate for Dobell Dr Michael Feneley as the “$336 million dollar man” for his alleged efforts to secure the funding despite only being announced as the party’s candidate earlier this month and moving to Noraville last year after purchasing a $6.3 million waterfront home.

Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher made the announcement at Wyong on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Mr Fletcher said the funding would be committed in next Tuesday’s budget and would include upgrading the highway to four lanes between Johnson Rd and Cutler Drive.

He said the upgrade would also include a new bridge over Wyong River, create about 1000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and the funding equates to about 80 per cent of the $420 million total cost of the project.

“The expectation is early works will be able to commence within 12 months, major construction by 2024 and as Michel Feneley, the Liberal candidate for Dobell has said, this will be so important,” Mr Fletcher said.

“This project is now real, it’s been on the drawing board, under discussion, under contemplation for quite a number of years. This funding commitment for 80 per cent of the capital costs means people in Wyong, the people of Dobell, the people of the Central Coast can know with confidence this project will be delivered.”

The daily peak hour traffic jam on the Pacific Highway through Wyong has been complained about for decade. Picture: Peter Clark

Mr Fletcher said he was “very confident” Transport for NSW would be able to deliver the project.

President of Business Wyong, formerly the Wyong Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Lusted said the chamber had been working on the project for decades and it was “shovel ready”.

“For the last five years all the land acquisition by the State Government has actually taken place, a couple of key demolitions have already taken place so effectively they’re ready,” he said.

Mr Lusted said several of the large palm trees of a similar height would be retained in the centre corridor of the upgraded road, which would also feature increased parking along the side of the highway.

The Pacific Highway Wyong, previously known as Main Rd, has not changed much since the 1930s, only back then it was wide enough for four or five cars to pass.

The upgrade of the Pacific Highway through Wyong has been mooted for decades with former Roads and Transport Authority studies in 2006 exploring a western, central and eastern corridor for the main thoroughfare of traffic.

It settled on a central corridor along the existing road with further studies in 2008 looking into a tunnel, land bridge and a split carriageway with an independent review in 2013 deciding an upgrade of the existing road being the least disruptive and most cost efficient.

WOY WOY COMMUTER CARPARK

Mr Fletcher was also on the coast to announce the preferred location for the long awaited Woy Woy commuter carpark.

Construction is set to start this year on the south western side of the existing carpark at the station. There will be 140 spaces and it will be at ground level with improved lighting and CCTV cameras.

The Woy Woy and Gosford commuter carparks were a federal election promise four years ago to the tune of $35m, with 140 sites promised for Woy Woy and 600 for Gosford.

The site of the commuter carpark extension planned for Woy Woy.

Robertson federal Liberal MP Lucy Wicks said the announcement was a win for commuters on the peninsula, however acknowledged it had taken time.

“We know this has been a challenging process, we have been able to deliver the funding but then of course working with our partners in government to make sure this project is completed,” she said.

“We want to make sure our hardworking commuters do have access to the infrastructure they need to make their lives easier.”

Mr Fletcher said they had been working through the detail with the State Government.

“We have now identified the preferred site for extension of the Woy Woy commuter carpark, which will be to the south west of the existing commuter carpark,” he said.

“The advice we have from Transport for NSW is that constructions will be able to start before the end of the year.”

He said the time lapse was common with major infrastructure projects due to the need for detailed planning work.

“It’s not an unusual amount of time between the announcement of the project to commencement of construction,” he said.

Mr Fletcher said he and Ms Wicks were looking at sites for a Gosford commuter carpark on Thursday.

Mr Fletcher did not reveal the cost of the project however said it would be marginally less than the Australian National Audit Office report which revealed cost blow outs in the national commuter carpark program to the tune of $211,000 per space at Woy Woy.

When asked for an update on long awaited Gosford commuter carpark promise, Mr Fletcher said they were continuing to work with Transport for NSW on the issue however said one of the hold ups had been Central Coast Council’s financial crisis and term of Administration.

He said he and Ms Wicks were looking at a number of potential sites for a commuter carpark in Gosford on Thursday afternoon.