The long-awaited Singleton Bypass project has reached a significant milestone with the first sod turned, marking the start of major construction.
The $700 million project will deliver Singleton’s biggest infrastructure project to date, with the Australian Government contributing $560 million and the New South Wales Government contributing $140 million.
When completed, the bypass will remove one of the Hunter region’s most notorious bottlenecks and around 15,000 vehicles each day from the Singleton CBD.
“Today is a landmark day for the Singleton community and I am delighted the Australian and NSW governments are working together to improve the journeys of people living and working right across the Hunter region,” said Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King.
“With the first sod turned, we are hitting the ground running on this vital infrastructure project, which will transform the daily lives of so many people around the Hunter region.
“It will mean people can get home safer and quicker, spending more time in their communities and less time on the road.”
Upon completion, motorists will avoid five sets of traffic lights and benefit from improved road safety and reduced travel times.
Preparations have been in full swing, with contractor, ACCIONA Constructions Australia, finalising the design of the project ahead of major work starting.
A full interchange at Putty Road and connections with the New England Highway at the southern end, the northern end and at Gowrie Gates will provide connectivity to Singleton.
Six bridges will be built as part of the project, including four across the Hunter River floodplain as well as a northbound climbing lane which will allow heavy vehicles to climb the hill without slowing other traffic between Gowrie Gates and the northern connection.
Following additional investigations and constructive engagement with the community, stakeholder and property owners, the design has been further refined.
These refinements include modifying the southern connection and reconfiguring the Putty Road interchange to improve functionality and safety.
“This is a huge milestone for the Singleton community with the bypass soon about to take shape before their very eyes,” said Federal Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi.
“The project is also giving the local economy a much-needed boost by supporting more than 1,300 jobs during construction.”
The Singleton Bypass is expected to open to traffic in late 2026, weather permitting.
In other news, the Bruce Highway has reopened to traffic.
The post Major work starts on anticipated $700M Singleton Bypass project appeared first on Trailer Magazine.