Transport for NSW is committed to a safe and sustainable transport system for the whole state. This means that all transport infrastructure plans, design, construction, operations, maintenance and management will take into account economic, environmental, health, community and social factors.

The Great Western Highway Upgrade

The final alignment of the Great Western Highway in Blackheath will be decided through community feedback, alongside further survey work, technical studies and environmental assessments. The Great Western Highway Upgrade Program will require assessment under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Scoping of stages

The upgrade program will be delivered in stages or sections. Once a route for each section of the upgrade program has been determined, the project team will prepare a Scoping Report for sections requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which:

• describes the project
• identifies the relevant strategic and statutory context
• summarises the results of any early community engagement
• identifies the scale and nature of the impacts of the project
• outlines the proposed approach to assessment and community engagement.

This report is submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE).

Environmental Impact Statement

The EIS will assess the economic, environmental and social impacts of the project to help the community, government agencies and the consent authority to make informed decisions on the merits of the project. The EIS will also include consideration of how to manage any impacts.

Once the EIS has been prepared, there will be a period of public exhibition where public submissions are invited.

Considerations and investigations

Considerations/investigations that Transport for NSW typically undertakes as part of preparing the EIS, include but are not limited to:

Environmental assessment for Blackheath

When an environmental assessment incorporating Blackheath has been completed, there will be a period of time for display and consultation.

Engagement with the Blue Mountains community to help inform the decision-making on this matter has, and will continue to be a key part of our planning processes.

NSW DPIE Approval Process

The Great Western Highway Upgrade Program will be delivered in stages or sections. Once a route for each section of the upgrade program has been determined, the project team will prepare a Scoping Report for sections requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Each EIS will assess economic, environmental and social impacts to help the community, government agencies and the consent authority to make informed decisions on the merits of the project. The EIS will also include consideration of how to manage any impacts.

Considerations/investigations that Transport for NSW typically undertakes as part of preparing the EIS, include but are not limited to:

• Air Quality
• Heritage
• Aboriginal Heritage
• Biodiversity
• Noise and Vibration
• Visual impact
• Traffic and access
• Soil and Water
• Socio-economic/land use
• Flood and hydrology
• Ground Water
• Bush fire
• Waste
• Greenhouse gasses

When an environmental assessment incorporating Blackheath has been completed, there will be a period of time for display and consultation. Engagement with the Blue Mountains community to help inform the decision-making on this matter has, and will continue to be a key part of our planning processes.

More information about environmental assessments and the Great Western Highway can be found here.

The Great Western Highway is the key east west road freight transport connection between Sydney and NSW.

The Highway is being upgraded alongside long-term rail and intermodal options. Upgrading the rail is no substitute for upgrading the Highway, as both are needed to meet future demand and address issues around safety, congestion and journey reliability.

There are constraints around the type of freight that can travel by rail, including the large tonnage required to be cost effective, the speed of delivery, infrastructure for loading and unloading and the transportation required at either end of the journey.

Once completed, the upgrade of the Great Western Highway will reduce congestion and deliver safer, more efficient and reliable journeys for those travelling in, around and through the Blue Mountains, while also better connecting communities in the Central West.

The upgrade aims to:

• Improve safety: reducing safety risks along the corridor for all road users
• Improve network performance: improve congestion and travel time reliability
• Improve and drive regional economic development and productivity
• Enhance liveability and amenity: maintain and improve local amenity and character, and protect environmental and cultural assets
• Improve resilience and future proof: provide a dependable and adaptable transport network that enables continuity of transport and essential services.

The upgrade program is aligned strategically to the following Australian and NSW Government plans, policies, and frameworks

• NSW Future Transport 2056
• NSW Freight and Port Plan 2018-2023
• NSW Heavy Vehicle Access Policy Framework
• NSW Road Safety Plan 2021
• The Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019
• Regional NSW Services and Infrastructure Plan 2018
• NSW Tourism and Transport Plan 2018
• Central West and Orana Regional Plan 2036
• A 20 Year Economic Vision for Regional NSW.

The Great Western Highway Upgrade Program also responds to government’s commitment to invest in regional NSW, and recognises the strategic need to invest in and grow the Central West.

More information about the benefits of the Great Western Highway Upgrade Program can be found here.

The NSW Government has committed $2.5 billion to upgrade the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow. As part of that upgrade, it is proposed to build a tunnel under Blackheath to remove heavy traffic, improve safety, and give the Great Western Highway through Blackheath back to the community.

The proposed outer bypass option through Centennial Glen, and the proposed inner bypass next to the rail line on Station Street, have both been removed as potential routes for the Great Western Highway Upgrade Program.

During this consultation we invite you to provide feedback on:

• Your preference for a long, or mid-length tunnel
• Your preference for location of tunnel portals
• Any feedback or questions regarding impacts of either route
• Other improvements that could be made to the existing Highway to improve safety, amenity and connectivity in Blackheath

The Blackheath Co-Design Committee (BCC) was formed by Transport for NSW in March 2020, following feedback from the community. The purpose of the BCC was to involve representatives of the community in working with Transport for NSW to refine route options for Blackheath.

The Committee included stakeholder group representatives, selected community representatives, as well as representatives from the Blue Mountains City Council and emergency services.

Transport for NSW is extremely grateful to the BCC for their time and efforts over the long process. The Committee were respectful, collaborative and positive, and contributed deep local expertise and knowledge to the process.

Of the options assessed, the Committee's preferred option is for a long tunnel underneath Blackheath, between the outermost proposed southern portal near Evans Lookout Road, and the proposed northern portal near the Mt Boyce Heavy Vehicle Safety Station.

Further information about the BCC can be found here.

Each of the proposed tunnel portals has impacts which may affect the community in different ways. Transport for NSW is seeking community feedback on your preferences for tunnel length and portal locations, and any feedback or questions regarding impacts of either route.

Early investigations indicate that a tunnel is feasible under Blackheath and can be constructed at an average depth of 30–40 metres below the surface, the height of a 10 storey building. The route underground is still to be determined by further technical studies. 

Further information on the following:

• Land and surface level impacts
• Ventilation and air quality
• Additional structures
• Groundwater
• Dangerous goods
• Spoil removal
• Emergencies

and other topics related to tunnels, can be found here.

There are three major areas where urban design has a prominent role in road tunnel design. These include: 

• Limiting the physical and visual impact of the tunnel on the surrounding environment for local residents, integrating local pedestrian and cycle connections and design to enhance local landscape characteristics 
• Improving the comfort and general driver experience, and to encourage intuitive driver decision making, which has the potential to enhance driver safety
• Ensuring that the tunnel delivers benefits to tunnel users, and the surrounding urban or rural environment. A successful road tunnel project requires a joint approach to the task of sensitively fitting a tunnel into its built, natural and community environment.

For more information: Great Western Highway Katoomba to Mount Victoria Urban Design Framework