March 22 this year marked the five year anniversary since the opening of the Hunter Expressway.
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The 40-kilometre stretch of dual carriage freeway between Branxton and Newcastle was a multibillion dollar investment to the Hunter region that has created benefits beyond what was predicted. But how did it come to be?
For over 20 years, the community called for better road infrastructure to support the Hunter's continued growth. The idea of the expressway was first floated in 1988, but it took a partnership between Federal Labor and State Labor Governments to complete the planning, secure the funding and start work on the road, which was to include 52 bridges. After tireless advocacy from my colleague and friend, the Federal Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon, the Rudd Government provided $1.5 billion to the project and the Keneally Government up to $200 million.
It took 18 months of detailed planning, geotechnical investigations and site preparations before the then Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, premier Kristina Keneally, Federal Labor Member for Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon and then State Member for Cessnock, Kerry Hickey all stood at the Buchanan interchange to turn the first sod on this incredible piece of infrastructure.
At that moment on 11 August 2010, Anthony Albanese said: "The new Expressway will cut travel times between Newcastle and Branxton by half an hour and take up to 30,000 vehicles a day off the New England Highway and away from the towns of Thornton, Maitland and Rutherford." And he wasn't only right, but he underestimated how positive the impact would be.
Since it opened, traffic on the New England Highway has reduced by between 5000 to 8000 vehicles per day, heavy vehicles travelling on the New England Highway through towns such as Maitland and Branxton has reduced by about 40 per cent, travel time for motorists between the M1 Newcastle interchange, and Branxton has improved by about 25 minutes and there has been significant population growth to the area.
Whether you've travelled the expressway once or use it daily, there is no denying how important it is to our communities. However, you'll also know that this increase in traffic has put pressure on some of the connecting roads along the way. Areas like Orange Street, Greens Lane, Hart Road and Main Road Heddon Greta all need our attention - and that's what I've promised to do.
Last month I welcomed Shadow Minister for Regional Services and Local Government to announce that a Shorten Labor Government will build a roundabout and commuter car park on Main Road Heddon Greta - a site that causes one prang or near miss every single day and in its present state is an eye sore.
Like you, I know this is not the full solution to the traffic concerns, but we need to start somewhere. The Hunter Expressway was the result of community advocacy and I encourage that advocacy to continue as we work to address pressure on our small towns along the way.
If you have any thoughts, you can email me at Meryl.swanson.mp@aph.gov.au.