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Project overview

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Project boundary

Ancillary facilities

About the project

Transport for NSW (Transport) is widening the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Blackheath to two lanes in each direction. The upgrade is split into two sections:

Key features of the Upgrade include:

Connecting to the tunnel portal:

One of the key design changes relates to the future tunnel from Blackheath to Little Hartley and how the current upgrade will connect with the future tunnel portal near Evans Lookout Road. To accommodate the future tunnel, the Katoomba to Blackheath Upgrade will now also include:

Building new eastbound and westbound lanes on the highway towards Blackheath
Providing a westbound single lane exit ramp from the new highway to Blackheath
Continuing the shared path access track on the outskirts of the National Park
Creating a temporary eastbound connection from Blackheath to the new sections of the Great Western Highway

Next – Noise and vibration

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Noise and vibration

Existing noise levels in the proposal area are generally dominated by road traffic from the Great Western Highway and from trains passing in the rail corridor.

Most construction work would take place during standard working hours. Residences located closest to the work should not experience significant noise impacts.

In the long term, noise would be decreased once the Great Western Highway Upgrade is complete, due to the inclusion of low noise pavement to reduce traffic noise from the Highway.

At-property noise treatments would also be considered by Transport during detailed design for properties where noise levels may exceed the adopted criteria.

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2026

2026 no build - day

2026 no build - night

2026 build - day

2026 build - night

2036

2036 no build - day

2036 no build - night

2036 build - day

2036 build - night

REF Chapter 6.6 - Noise and vibration

Next – Aboriginal heritage

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Aboriginal heritage

Transport will be working with Aboriginal cultural heritage specialists Balaringi and non-Aboriginal heritage specialists GML on a heritage cultural interpretation strategy that spans the area from Katoomba to South Bowenfels, east of Lithgow. Transport acknowledges the rich and diverse history of the Blue Mountains and is considering how to mitigate the impacts of the upgrade and respectfully honour our past.

The history of the Blue Mountains has been shaped by both the Gundungurra and Darug Aboriginal people and European exploration west of the Great Dividing Range.

REF Chapter 6.5 - Landscape character and visual impacts

Next - Non-Aboriginal heritage

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Non-aboriginal Heritage

The upgrade has been designed to complement the heritage significance of the upgrade area by creating spaces for interpretation and community access. These design features include the retention and expansion of the existing heritage interpretation area near Nellies Glen Road and the provision of improved active transport trails. These features would be further developed as part of the Great Western Highway Upgrade Program heritage interpretation strategy.

The upgrade would result in direct impacts on four local heritage items listed on the Blue Mountains Local Environment Plan 2015 within the Katoomba to Medlow Bath section. These are: Pulpit Hill and Environs; Stone Arrangements; Explorer’s Tree and Environs; and Bonnie Doon Reserve.

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World Heritage Areas

Local Environmental Plan

Blue Mountains National Park

Potential heritage sites

REF Chapter 6.4 - Non-Aboriginal heritage REF Chapter 6.9 - Aboriginal cultural heritage

Next – Biodiversity

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Biodiversity

During the detailed design and construction stages, work would be undertaken to minimise, as far as practicable, the area of vegetation removal. However, biodiversity offsets have been identified and would offset the resultant vegetation removal.

Assessments of significance have been carried out for threatened species which were identified with potential to occur within the proposal area. These assessments found that the vegetation removal associated with the proposal would not have a significant impact on threatened biota. Significant impacts would be avoided through the implementation of mitigation measures, including the implementation of a Flora and Fauna Management Plan.

REF Chapter 6.3 - Biodiversity

Next – Landscape and visual quality

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Landscape character and visual impacts

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Proposed BMNP revocation

Subject to proposed BMNP revocation

The upgrade would result in visual impacts to motorists, recreational walkers and cyclists during construction due to clearance of vegetation, excavations and earthworks and the presence of construction areas and ancillary facilities. Residents that overlook construction sites would experience the greatest visual impacts from the upgrade. There would be major visual impacts experienced at residences on or near Explorers Road.

REF Chapter 6.2 - Soils and contaminated land REF Chapter 6.5 - Landscape character and visual impacts

Next - Heritage

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Active transport

One of the key features of the Great Western Highway upgrade is the provision of new active transport connections and upgrade of the existing active transport connections along the highway on what is known as the Great Blue Mountains Trail.

Although the Great Blue Mountains Trail is marked as a regional on-road cycle route and identified on the Blue Mountains Cycling Map, it does not meet the standards of a formal cycle route, and no other formal cycling facilities exist on the Great Western Highway. Most of the pedestrian activities between Katoomba and Blackheath take place on off-road sealed and unsealed bush walking tracks.

Next - Traffic and transport

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Traffic and Transport

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Active Trail (existing)

Active Trail (upgraded)

Active Trail (potential)

REF Chapter 6.8 - Traffic and transport

Next – Water quality

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Water quality

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Drainage basins

Transport would manage the surface water run off or discharge from the proposal area (particularly from the Medlow Bath to Blackheath section) very carefully, as it would flow into the Blue Mountains National Park and existing special catchment areas.

There are two groundwater sources located within the proposal area – the Sydney Basin Blue Mountains Groundwater Source to the east and the Sydney Basin Coxs River Groundwater Source to the west. These groundwater sources support local hanging swamp ecosystems, which are mostly reliant on groundwater seeps out along bedding planes and layers in the sandstone.

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

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Project overview

Noise and vibration

Aboriginal heritage

Non-aboriginal heritage

Biodiversity

Landscape character and visual impacts

Active transport

Traffic and transport

Water quality

About the project

Fauna

Flora

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

Consultation Sessions

General online sessions

Missing information

Error during submission

Submission received

Thank you for your submission.

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

Great Western Highway Upgrade East information session

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Information sessions and booths

Information sessions:

Information booths:

Community Consultation

Community Consultation

What is an REF?

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Helpful links

Acknowledgement of Country

Explorers Road

U-turn bay at Rowan Lane

Nellies Glen

View over Foy Avenue