A MAJOR step in improving road links between Sydney and the Central West has been taken.
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On Monday, member for Bathurst Paul Toole announced that work was commencing on the new Clarence Road rail bridge, located on Chifley Road, between Bell and Lithgow.
The new bridge is part of a $95 million investment into the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road, which was announced earlier this year by the NSW Government.
“This is going to see over $20 million being invested by the NSW Government,” Mr Toole said of the new bridge.
“It is going to improve the road entrances, it is going to see a new bridge being constructed and it is going to see the road itself being widened, safety barriers being put in place, but it is all about creating a safe road for users out here in the Central West.”
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The Clarence Road rail bridge was built in 1943 and, although still safe to use, it is near the end of its lifespan.
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) director for the Western Region, Alistair Lunn, said it was time the bridge was replaced.
“For the work, we’re going to replace the bridge – it will be a stronger, wider bridge – and a lot of improvements for safety,” he said. “The guard rail on the bridge is very sub-standard and that will greatly be improved.”
There will be 60 people employed for the life of the project, with people on site weekdays between 7am and 6pm, as well as on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
Tree clearing, earthwork, pavement and realignment works will commence at the site this week.
“The new bridge is going to be adjacent to the existing bridge so we can maintain that movement during the whole of the construction period,” Mr Lunn said.
Work on the bridge is expected to conclude in 2020.
Regarding the broader investment from the government, Mr Toole said work could already been seen happening around the region on projects that have been on the agenda for decades.
“What I want to see is not us talking about it – we could talk about it for another 20 years – but what we are seeing now is actual real action on the ground to see it come to fruition,” he said.
Investigations into ways to reduce travel time to Sydney are ongoing, Mr Toole said.
