Narellan Rd project officially complete
A MARATHON four-year project, untangling the Macarthur region’s most congested road, is over, with the Narellan Rd upgrade officially complete.
Macarthur
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THE Narellan Rd roadworks nightmare is officially over.
The marathon four-year project, untangling the Macarthur region’s most congested road, was completed this week.
More than 1400 days since the 6.8km upgrade first began, frustrated commuters are rejoicing the regular bumper-to-bumper mayhem is over.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said the upgrade had cut peak travel times in half.
“Today, we’ve been able to announce that the final piece of the puzzle in the Narellan Rd upgrade is complete,” she said in a press release.
“This major arterial corridor is providing significant benefits for people living in nearby communities including Campbelltown, Mt Annan, Camden and Narellan.
“I think, in the end, we have a great result for the Macarthur region’s road users.”
The $152 million project, completed by construction engineering company Seymour White, included widening Narellan Rd to six lanes, 10 intersection improvements, a pedestrian bridge and an upgrade of the Hume Motorway interchange.
Camden state Liberal MP Chris Patterson said he was happy to see the project completed.
“It is a huge improvement from what it was,” he said. “I think people forget what it used to be like.
“It seems to be flowing much better, with the reduced travel time a much better outcome for commuters.
“It did take too long to get to this outcome and I thank the community for their patience.”
Last year, traffic was crawling at an average of 50km/h during morning and afternoon peak times, according to Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) Roads Report data.
Motorists were halted to a snail’s pace at 2.45pm, with data indicating an average speed for motorists of 35.4km/h.
The two-stage project, funded by the Australian and NSW governments, was originally budgeted for $114 million.
Hume federal Liberal MP Angus Taylor said the completion was a significant positive for the Macarthur region community.
“This is great news for so many of my constituents who rely on Narellan Rd every day,” he said.
Mr Taylor said Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) data indicated travel time on Narellan Rd, between Camden Valley Way and Blaxland Rd, had halved in morning and afternoon peak times.
“The data also found right-turn lanes at five Narellan Rd intersections, which had regularly overflowed with waiting vehicles and blocked through traffic lanes, were now clear during the peak following the upgrade,” he said.