Maitland Council and the Victorian Government have joined forces to upgrade a Thornton intersection from three to four lanes, with works now in progress.
The works will include traffic lights, road widening to allow for two through lanes in each direction, and right turn bays.
Construction at the intersection of Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road will cater for future development to the north and will be linked to the existing road network in coming years.
Improved street lighting and accessibility to buses in the area will significantly and positively impact traffic flow and commuter safety.
$9.5 million of the funding was provided by the New South Wales Government’s Housing Acceleration Fund, while Council is funding the remainder of the work, primarily via Section 7.11 Developer Contributions, collected from the Thornton North Urban Release Area.
Maitland Council Mayor, Philip Penfold, joined representatives from Council and Transport for NSW to turn the first sod on the job and help get work underway.
Mayor Penfold said the project is a win for the people of Maitland and was looking forward to the widespread benefits of the works.
“The residents of Thornton and Chisholm have been calling for these works for several years so it’s something of a relief for them to see these upgrades finally get underway,” Mayor Penfold said.
“Council is proud to contribute a significant amount to these works, and I know our officers have worked very hard in a challenging global supply chain and resourcing conditions to get us to a point where work can start.
“Raymond Terrace Road is one of the busier roads in our LGA and feeds thousands of commuters daily through our city and beyond, so these works will have widely felt benefits.”
This project is a continuation of Council’s project to upgrade the Thornton Road Network, with more works planned across Thornton’s roads to continue improving traffic flow in the area.
Pending conditions, these works are expected to finish in mid 2024.
