Transport for NSW has carried out detailed traffic investigation and modelling to understand the future traffic volumes and split between the existing highway and the proposed bypass.
Our modelling indicates that traffic volumes on the bypass do not reach levels where dual carriageway would be justified.
The proposed bypass has been designed with flexibility and can be upgraded to dual carriageway in the future if traffic volumes reach the point where it is viable.
The New England Highway is a major freight and commuter route forming part of the Sydney to Brisbane Corridor of the National Land Transport Network and the primary route connecting the Upper Hunter with Maitland and Newcastle.
Around 26,000 vehicles, including more than 3700 trucks, travel through Singleton each day. Traffic has increased in recent years, with coal mining industry commuters and heavy vehicles identified as a major contributor. The area is already experiencing high levels of congestion, and traffic volumes are expected to increase over time in line with population growth.
A New England Highway bypass at Singleton would address current congestion and future traffic demands.
The proposed bypass would have region wide benefits such as:
Improve travel reliability on the New England Highway through Singleton, particularly for road freight supporting the Upper Hunter and the North West New England region
Improve the amenity of Singleton by removing freight traffic
Improve road safety for through and local traffic in Singleton
Support future traffic growth along the New England Highway associated with planned land use in the Upper Hunter area
Provide access for oversize over mass vehicles along the New England Highway.
Transport for NSW proposes to build a New England Highway bypass of Singleton (the proposal). The proposal is located to the west of Singleton and connects the New England Highway to the north and south of Singleton. Key features of the proposal include:
About eight kilometres of new highway (the bypass) with a single lane in each direction
Connection with the New England Highway at the southern end of the bypass (the southern connection) including a southbound entry ramp and northbound exit ramp
A bridge over the bypass at the southern connection
A bridge over the Main North railway line, the Doughboy Hollow and Hunter River floodplain, Army Camp Road and Putty Road (bridge over the floodplain)
Connection to Putty Road including a southbound entry ramp and northbound exit ramp at the Putty Road connection to create a full interchange via a roundabout at Putty Road (the Putty Road connection)
A bridge over the entry ramp at the Putty Road connection
A bridge over Rose Point floodway
A bridge over the Hunter River
A bridge over the New England Highway west of the existing Main North railway line overbridge (known as Gowrie Gates)
Connection with the New England Highway at Gowrie Gates consisting of a southbound entry ramp and northbound exit ramp. The northbound exit ramp would connect to the New England Highway via a new roundabout intersection at Maison Dieu Road
A climbing lane between Gowrie Gates and the northern connection
Connection at Magpie Street including providing access to the nearby industrial area (the northern connection), consisting of a southbound entry ramp, southbound exit ramp, and northbound entry ramp
A bridge over the bypass at the northern connection
For more information please see the Interactive Map and Project Description.
In 2015 a number of strategic corridor options for the singleton bypass were placed on public display. These were based on a number of studies and strategies carried out by Transport for NSW.
Following community feedback and a value management workshop that included representatives from Singleton Council, businesses, community groups and other government agencies, these options were shortlisted to three. After considering traffic impacts, environmental issues and community feedback, a preferred route option was announced as the preferred option for the Singleton Bypass project in 2016.
For more information on the considered options please download Download Chapter 2
Early work on the bypass started in December 2022 and is now complete.
The main contract for the design and construction of the Singleton Bypass was awarded to Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd in November 2023, with main construction activities commencing in September 2024.
We will soon be launching our interactive construction portal. The construction portal will feature before and after images, animation videos, work activity and much more. We will regularly update the portal during construction to keep the community informed about construction activities.
Early work on the bypass started in December 2022 and is now complete.
The main contract for the design and construction of the Singleton Bypass was awarded to Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd in November 2023, with main construction activities commencing in September 2024.
Transport for NSW has identified properties impacted and potentially impacted by the project. We have and will continue to consult directly with all owners. We will contact you directly if we need to enter your property to carry out field investigations to help gather information needed in the development and delivery of the project.
Transport for NSW has acquired privately owned land as part of developing the project. A property is described as being 'directly affected' by a project when Transport for NSW needs to acquire part or all of it in order to deliver the project.
Further information relating to land acquisition is available here: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/about/what-we-do/land-acquisition.html
Transport will continue to keep the community up to date with project work activities as the project progresses.
The Singleton Bypass project has been designed to achieve a one in 100 year (one per cent Annual Exceedance Probability) flood immunity on the bypass whilst minimising flooding impacts on surrounding land.
Interaction with groundwater is anticipated during the construction of bridge piles and piers for the proposal. To minimise the potential of encountering groundwater, the pile holes would be installed by advancing steel casing into the ground as they are drilled. The steel casing will pass through one to two metres of gravel below the existing water table. Once the casing has been advanced to the bedrock, groundwater is generally not expected to be encountered.
The operation of the proposal would not result in substantial changes to the recharge of groundwater within the proposal area and therefore no ongoing impact to groundwater users is anticipated.
Click here to see how we would minimise impacts to groundwater during construction.
Public display has now closed for the concept design and review of environmental factors (REF) for the Singleton Bypass. Thank you to the community members who took the time to consider our proposal and provide feedback.
The REF was publicly displayed for feedback between between December 2019 and March 2020. During this time, Transport invited the public to provide feedback on the proposal. The submissions report was prepared and summerises the community and stakeholder comments, Transports responses, and details of the decision.
The community can leave a comment here.