In a statement to the Lithgow Mercury, Mr Toole said the project was an "absolute game changer for people travelling in, around and over the Blue Mountains".

"It will dramatically strengthen the connection between Sydney and the Central West," Mr Toole said.

"We know it comes with challenges and we are working incredibly hard to preserve what is special about these Mountain communities, including the character of the villages, the natural environment and the tourism appeal that it creates.

"We will continue to consult with the community every step of the way as this project progresses."

Mr Toole said the communities he is heavily involved in shouldn't be worried about his new role as Deputy Premier.

"Being Deputy Premier is a big job and an important job, but so is representing our community as the Member for the Bathurst Electorate and I won't be losing sight of that and have some exciting announcements in the pipeline for the Lithgow area which will be announced shortly," Mr Toole said.

The Lithgow community have been both for and against the proposed upgrade, with The Hartley Valley Progress Association being very vocal about their opinions that the Great Western Highway (GWH) duplication proposal is wrong and that the government should look at workable alternatives.

TfNSW is pressing ahead with a project to duplicate the GWH between Katoomba and Lithgow with the major components tunnels beneath Blackheath and Mt Victoria and into the Hartley Valley.

One big question the Hartley Valley Progress Association had was whether the proposed work for Hartley was even necessary.

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According to Progress Association president Renzo Benedet, the highway plans 'lack strategic thinking'.

"We have seen how the Hume Highway and the Pacific Highway have contributed economically to regional economies through designing roads which by-pass townships. Freight growth has responded accordingly. But we do not see the same strategic thinking for the Great Western Highway," Mr Benedet said.

There's no denying the valley is a jewel on the Australian landscape and locals fear it would be ruined by a four lane high speed motorway and a tunnel portal.

Seen as all important is the elimination of the notorious Govetts Leap Road bottleneck that results in lengthy disruption at ever increasing frequencies and the tunnel is seen as the least invasive option.

The highway between Katoomba and Blackheath is also winding and hazardous and this section is also presenting concerns with just how the highway can be widened through Medlow Bath village without serious destruction.

The plan even involves two truck stops each the length of three football fields (300 metres) in the valley.

In June, 2021, Mr Toole said the project had been put in the "too hard basket for too long" but now was the time to get moving on the project.

Mr Toole said the government was still undertaking studies about creating an 11 kilometre tunnel through the mountains.

He said it would be a five to six year long project and would see over 3900 jobs created for the community.

Director for Transport NSW Alistair Lunn said residents could finally enjoy doing 100 kilometres per hour along the Great Western Highway once complete.

"There will be no changing of speed zones along that line," he said.

Mr Lunn also said that while some small disruptions may occur during the building of this project, they would be working with residents to make sure people weren't badly affected.

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