Pacific Highway improvements at Hexham
(Hexham Straight Widening)
The Australian Government and the NSW Government are investing in the upgrade and development of the section of the Pacific Highway (Maitland Road) known as Hexham Straight between Newcastle Inner City Bypass and Hexham Bridge.
Project Updates
Transport for NSW will be completing night work in November 2025. Work will include removal and building new road pavements, including asphalting, line-marking and median island work and traffic changes; stormwater and pavement work; traffic signal work, utility adjustments, landscaping, and bridge works.
We will be working on Maitland Road between the Newcastle Inner City Bypass and the Oak Precinct from Saturday 1 November to Sunday 30 November 2025. Normal working hours are between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and 8am and 1pm on Saturdays. Out of hours work will happen at night between 7pm and 7am from Sunday to Thursday and we will be working on Saturday between 8am to 5pm.
Lane and shoulder closures with a 40km/h speed reduction will be in place during some night work. Contra-flow arrangements will be in place during asphalt works. Motorists are advised to follow the directions of signs and traffic controllers, use alternative routes where possible or allow up to 15 minutes extra travel time.
Operators of Over Size or Over Mass vehicles with a ground contact wider than 3.2 metres or with overall width wider than 4.5 metres are advised to contact the project team at least one day ahead of movement on 1800 515 141. Significant delays could occur if failure to contact. OSOM operators are advised the project operates on UHF channel 45.
Vehicles travelling under a permit must not travel off the approved route listed in the permit unless an updated permit is obtained from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
Find the latest project update at the top of the page in Download and Notifications.
Latest news
The Hexham Straight Widening upgrade hit two huge milestones in just one week!
7 November, 2025
Three northbound lanes are now open from Sparke Street to Hexham Bridge, following the successful opening of the new southbound lanes at the end of October. The twin milestones mark rapid progress on the widening project to reduce congestion, improve safety and strengthen freight links in the Hunter.
For the 50,000 motorists who rely on this corridor every day, these twin milestones mean smoother, safer and more reliable trips between Old Maitland Road and the Hexham Bridge – easing congestion on one of the Hunter’s most notorious bottlenecks.
The next milestone for the project is to separate traffic on the new southbound bridge over Ironbark Creek, which is now carrying four lanes of traffic, two in each direction, with traffic soon to shift onto the new northbound bridge as work continues.
Finishing work will continue on the new northbound bridge over Ironbark Creek over the next few months to complete the bridge and approaches. Once this work is completed the entire six-kilometre Hexham Straight Widening project will be open to three lanes in each direction at a speed limit of 80km/h.
Once the project is complete, the Hexham Straight will feature three lanes each way across six kilometres, delivering faster travel times, improved freight efficiency and safer connections for all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians.
The completed project is expected to open to traffic in 2026.
