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Project overview

About the project

The Medlow Bath Upgrade is the first section of the Great Western Highway Katoomba to Lithgow Upgrade Program to be delivered.

The Upgrade will involve widening the highway through Medlow Bath within the existing road corridor which has been long reserved for this purpose.

The design provides for two lanes in either direction, traffic lights, landscaping, a shared pathway, safety improvements and a pedestrian bridge providing safer access across the Highway and into the Medlow Bath train station.

Transport for NSW (Transport) is presenting two options to further improve the safety of the Bellevue Crescent intersection. Your feedback will inform the decision on which intersection treatment is progressed in the concept design.

Medlow Bath has been prioritised to be the first section of the Great Western Highway to be upgraded because:

We can address known safety concerns and provide ongoing safety benefits for local traffic and pedestrians.
There is ample space to upgrade the existing Highway with minimal property and environmental impacts, allowing faster environmental assessment and approval.
We can deliver immediate benefits for Medlow Bath while we plan the more complex other sections of the Great Western Highway Upgrade Program.

The project proposal need, objectives and options considered are described in Chapter 2 of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF).

Key features

Key features of the proposal include:

upgrade of the existing highway to a four-lane divided carriageway allowing for two lanes of traffic in each direction, either side of a central median with planted trees
upgrade of the Bellevue Crescent intersection with new turning lanes, U-turn bay and traffic signals
a new right turn lane providing access to the Hydro Majestic Hotel
improvements on Railway Parade to formalise parking provisions, U-turns and rail customer parking
new indented bus bays on both sides of the highway close to Medlow Bath Station
construction of a new pedestrian bridge, stairs and lifts to provide an accessible path of travel between the bus bays, the Medlow Bath Station platforms and Railway Parade
new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists on the western side of the highway
ancillary works such as the replacement of road surfaces, reconstruction works associated with local roads, driveways, footpaths, kerbs, gutters and retaining walls, drainage works and relocation of services.

Construction of the proposal is anticipated take around 20 months to complete, weather permitting.

Environmental assessment

The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the Medlow Bath Upgrade has been approved.

An REF is undertaken to assess the potential impacts of a proposed development or activity on the environment, to ensure compliance with the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and any other relevant state and national laws.

It includes investigations into all environmental impacts, and includes ways the project proposes to identify, mitigate and manage those impacts.

Next steps

Construction on the Medlow Bath Upgrade has now started. We will continue to update the community as the project progresses.

Katoomba to Lithgow

The NSW Government invited community feedback on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Blackheath to Little Hartley tunnel from 18 January until 1 March 2023.

Transport is preparing a Response to Submissions Report for consideration by the Department of Planning and Environment, and determination of the EIS is expected towards the end of 2023.

Next – Noise and vibration

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Noise and vibration

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2026

Without project noise levels

With design noise levels

2036

Without project noise levels

With design noise levels

Noise monitoring

Background noise monitoring was undertaken in December 2020 and used to calculate Noise Management Levels for the construction phase of the proposal in accordance with the methodology in the Interim Construction Noise Guideline (Department of Environment and Climate Change, 2009).

Construction noise

Noise modelling of the indicative construction activities and stages indicates there would be exceedances of the Noise Management Levels during construction works, due to the small offset distance between the proposal and sensitive receivers.

During construction, a small number of receivers would be highly affected with noise levels potentially exceeding 75 dBA at some point during the works.

The noisiest stage is predicted to be vegetation clearing due to the operation of equipment like chainsaws, but which would last only two weeks.

Out of hours works, which may include evening or night-time works, would be required for certain activities such as pedestrian bridge works and road works and may also result in exceedances of Noise Management Levels.

With respect to additional traffic movements, the increase in noise from construction traffic is predicted to be less than 0.1 dB, and the additional movements would have a negligible impact on the local noise environment.

Minimum safe working distances have been included in the REF to minimise vibration impacts to human comfort and buildings (including heritage items).

Operational noise

Operational noise has been assessed in accordance with the Road Noise Policy (Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 2011) and the former Road and Maritime’s Noise Criteria Guideline.

High existing noise levels were identified throughout the proposal area which would continue in the future, with or without proposal.

A total of 13 receivers have been identified in the noise modelling as exceeding applicable design noise criteria and are eligible for consideration of additional noise mitigation, such as architectural treatment, which would be undertaken during detailed design.

REF Chapter 6.6 - Noise and vibration

Next – Traffic and transport

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Traffic and transport

Operational impacts

Overall, the proposal would improve the existing performance of the highway including accommodating future increases to traffic volumes in 2036. Alterations to the existing alignment, particularly the signalised control system and U-turn bay at Bellevue Crescent and the addition of right turn bays eastbound into key amenities would improve the safety of vehicles and the community.

Other positive impacts of the proposal include:

improved traffic flows which would benefit local and regional traffic. In particular, the upgraded highway would be able to support longer, heavier vehicles that are able to transport more freight per vehicle
improved safety for vehicles with upgraded intersections at Bellevue Crescent and the Hydro Majestic Hotel with new turning lanes, U-turn bay, signalisation, lane markings and signage
minimising potential for pedestrian/vehicle conflicts through the installation of a new pedestrian bridge, stairs and lifts that would provide an accessible path of travel across the highway and to public transport facilities
enhanced public transport facilities including new kiss and ride and indented bus bays which would provide a safe location for customers to transfer between modes
a new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists which would also help to improve safety, as well as promote better health and encourage tourism by enhancing connections to existing trails
additional commuter parking at Railway Parade, including accessible parking.

Construction impacts

During construction, traffic and transport impacts and risks include:

potential increases in vehicle movements and changes to traffic flows which may lead to short traffic delays, for example:

● A temporary road closure of one hour would be required to allow for the operation of a crane to lift in and install the new pedestrian bridge

● Other temporary partial road or lane closures would be required at times to allow for road works (such as new pavement, kerb and gutter works) however it is proposed that alternating one-way traffic flow would be able to be maintained
changes for pedestrians and cyclists accessing the station and surrounding footpath/road network which could mean detours and longer walking/cycling distances
delays to buses on the Great Western Highway and temporary reduction in accessibility to bus stops as some bus stops would need to be relocated particularly where work activities being undertaken within the highway corridor.

The number of truck movements to the work sites during construction is unknown at this stage, however based on similar projects is likely to be less than 200 per day. Trucks movements would be distributed throughout the day equating to less than 30 movements per hour based on an eight-hour workday. This additional traffic is unlikely to have a significant impact on the road network. Similarly, there is expected to be an increase in light vehicle movements but the traffic assessment concluded that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the additional traffic.

There are a number of properties with direct access to the road network within the proposal area. Access to affected properties would be maintained throughout. Temporary property access would be provided where required.

REF Chapter 6.5 - Traffic and transport

Next – Biodiversity

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Biodiversity

The concept design for the proposal has utilised, where possible, disturbed areas in preference to native vegetation but would result in the clearing of about 0.36 hectares of vegetation. This includes 0.34 hectares of vegetation identified as plant community type (PCT 1248) Sydney Peppermint – Silvertop Ash which was observed to be of moderate and poor condition. No Threatened Ecological Communities would be directly impacted by the proposal.

The loss of vegetation would have a minor impact on the habitat of highly mobile threatened fauna species in the local including foraging habitat for species capable of utilizing roadside margins such as the Gang Gang Cockatoo, Little Lorikeet, Scarlet Robin and Varied Sittella.

An assessment of significance was prepared in accordance with the BC Act and EPBC Act for identified impacts on potentially affected threatened species and ecological communities. The assessment concluded that the proposal is not likely to have a significant impact to threatened biodiversity.

As there will be residual impacts to biodiversity, mitigation measures guided by The Biodiversity Guidelines: Protecting and managing biodiversity of RTA projects (NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, 2011a) would be implemented during construction and operation to further reduce the potential ecological impacts of the proposal. No biodiversity offsets are required for the proposal.

REF Chapter 6.1 - Biodiversity

Next – Water quality

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Water quality

Hydrology and flooding

Construction activities would involve earthworks and other ground disturbing activities that would increase the risk of sedimentation either through vehicle movements, or wind/water runoff. Such earthworks may also increase the risk of blockages to waterways and drainage lines resulting in localised flooding or scour impacts. These impacts are expected to be minor and would be managed through the implementation of standard sedimentation and drainage measures.

The proposal includes changes in the road geometry and widening which would create an increase in the paved area. This can change existing flood behaviour and alter the flood risk to receivers during operation. Based on hydrological modelling, upstream impacts are generally considered minor given there would be limited vertical changes, and the flows could largely be accommodated by the existing and upgraded drainage structures to be provided. Downstream flooding impacts would be managed through the installation of new detention basins and drainage upgrades.

Scour potential would be increased with higher velocities and larger flow rates than experienced under existing conditions. Appropriate scour protection to ensure suitable velocity and peak flow protection would be undertaken during detailed design.

Surface water and groundwater

In addition to sedimentation and scour impacts which can contribute to poor water quality there is also a risk of releasing potentially harmful chemicals and other substances in the environment due to spills both during construction and operation. Groundwater impacts during construction and operation include risks to groundwater quality as a result of spills or poor management of groundwater encountered during earthworks.

While the proposal would increase the pavement area and introduce new drainage discharge structures which can contribute to water quality risks, a number of mitigation measures have been included as part of the concept design including level spreaders to limit scour potential at discharge locations and detention basins with integrated bioretention to provide stormwater filtration and treatment before releasing flows to the environment.

The Neutral or Beneficial Effect (NorBE) assessment carried out for the proposal (which is a requirement as the proposal is located within the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment) found that assuming the mitigation recommendations are adopted, the proposal would achieve a beneficial outcome with regard to surface water quality. Impacts to groundwater were considered to be negligible.

REF Chapter 6.2 - Hydrology and flooding REF Chapter 6.3 - Surface water and groundwater

Next – Landscape and urban design

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Landscape character and visual impacts

Landscape character

The village of Medlow Bath is located between Blackheath to the north, and Katoomba to the south, and mostly consists of single story dwellings, guest-houses and retreats. The western edge of the Great Western Highway is physically and visually dominated by the locally heritage listed Hydro Majestic Hotel, which is positioned atop the Megalong Valley escarpment. The escarpment is locally protected due to its high scenic values. To the east of the Great Western Highway, vegetation creates a buffer between Medlow Bath residential tree-lined streets and the existing highway and rail corridor. Further east, low density housing backs onto the national park.

Visual impacts

Visual impacts have been mitigated in the proposal by:

locating new infrastructure as much as possible within or near to the existing road corridor
refinement of the design to compliment the existing setting and make new elements less dominant whilst maintaining key views
addition of vegetation to further establish the village character of Medlow Bath, assist in integrating the proposal within the landscape setting and minimise impacts on views.

Artist impressions (as before/after images on the map) show what the proposal may look like once complete were prepared for seven key viewpoints and were used to inform the visual impact assessment which considers the magnitude of a change, and the sensitivity of receiver location to then assign an overall impact level. From this assessment it was identified the proposal would result in the following overall visual impacts, mainly as a result of the introduction of a new pedestrian bridge:

High visual impact at one viewpoint looking east toward the alternative Bellevue Crescent option.
High-moderate visual impact three viewpoints
- at northern corner of Bellevue Crescent and Great Western Highway looking north
- at Station Street looking south
- at Railway Parade looking south
Moderate visual impact at two viewpoints
- along the existing shared user path, adjacent to the Great Western Highway and Hydro Majestic Hotel, looking north
- on Medlow Bath Station platform looking north towards the new pedestrian bridge
Moderate-Low visual impact at one viewpoint:
- Along the existing shared user path, adjacent to Blue Mountains Mazda, looking south.

REF Chapter 6.9 - Landscape character and visual impacts

Next – Heritage

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Heritage

Aboriginal cultural heritage

Construction would include excavation and other ground disturbing activities which can potentially impact Aboriginal archaeology, if present. There are no known Aboriginal sites identified within the proposal area. In addition, the proposal area has undergone extensive landscape modification and high level of disturbance from previous transport development which has been documented as part of previous Aboriginal heritage investigations (Jacobs, 2020). Therefore, there is a low likelihood that the proposal would impact any previously unidentified culturally sensitive items.

Non-Aboriginal heritage

There are a number of listed heritage items located within the proposal area, adjacent to or in the vicinity of the proposal, along with a number of potential heritage items that were identified during site inspections. Impacts to heritage items can be direct (eg physical impacts to heritage fabric such as their partial or complete removal) or indirect (such as affecting views or vistas of heritage value). There are also risks to subsurface archaeology where historical evidence of past land use may be adversely impacted by ground disturbing works.

A summary of the impacts to those items potentially directly impacted by the proposal is included in the table below. This includes works within the curtilage of the State heritage listed Medlow Bath Railway Station and a Section 60 application under the NSW Heritage Act 1977 would be submitted seeking approval for the proposal from the Heritage Council of NSW.

Impacts to other listed or potential heritage items adjacent to or in the vicinity of the proposal have also been assessed and include generally minor to major visual impacts. The proposal area has been assessed to be of low archaeological potential. Potential impacts due to excavation is considered to be unlikely. However, the proposal may have a moderate to major adverse impact on the archaeological potential of the proposal area, if archaeological resources survive.

REF Chapter 6.7 - Aboriginal cultural heritage REF Chapter 6.8 - Non-Aboriginal heritage

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Project overview

Noise and vibration

Traffic and transport

Biodiversity

Water quality

Landscape character and visual impacts

Heritage

About the project

Key features

Environmental assessment

Next steps

Katoomba to Lithgow

Noise monitoring

Construction noise

Operational noise

Operational impacts

Construction impacts

Hydrology and flooding

Surface water and groundwater

Landscape character

Visual impacts

Aboriginal cultural heritage

Non-Aboriginal heritage

Before/after: Looking south on the highway from the Mazda Dealership on Station Street

Before/after: Looking south on Railway Parade toward the proposed footbridge

Before/after: Shared zone for driveways looking north at 104 Great Western Highway

Before/after: Looking south along Station Street

Before/after: Looking north on the highway in front of the Hydro Majestic Hotel

Before/after: Looking north from the Medlow Bath Railway Station towards Railway Parade

Cross section near station street

Pedestrian bridge cross section

Cross section at Hydro Majestic Hotel

Cross section north of Bellevue Crescent

Using the map

Consultation since September 2017

Comparative noise levels

Noise guidelines

Predicted air quality

Community consultation

Community drop-in sessions

Indicative Fauna crossing - rope bridge

Indicative Fauna crossing - rope bridge

Noise videos

Let's talk about noise

Construction noise

Operational noise

Noise guidelines

Medlow Bath Meet the Contractor Event

Get Involved - Medlow Bath Pedestrian Bridge Briefings

Shared zone for driveways looking north at 104 Great Western Highway

Looking north on the highway in front of the Hydro Majestic Hotel

Looking south on the highway from the Mazda Dealership on Station Street

Looking south along Station Street

Looking north from the Medlow Bath Railway Station towards Railway Parade

Looking south on Railway Parade toward the proposed footbridge

Looking south on Railway Parade toward the proposed footbridge

Medlow Bath REF information session

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