Above: Councillors, senior staff, Roads and Maritime Services senior executives and the Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries assembled on the site of the soon to be re-opened ‘old Newell Highway crossing’ at Narrabri West for the announcement of the Narrabri West Precinct Freight Transport Activation project.From left, Roads and Maritime Services director, Western, Alistair Lunn, Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries, Cr Ron Campbell, Nationals Barwon candidate Andrew Schier, the mayor Cathy Redding, Cr Cameron Staines, the shire’s Director Infrastructure Delivery, Darren Raeck, deputy mayor Robert Kneale, Cr Ron Campey and Corporate Services director Lindsay Mason.
Long held concerns raised by veteran Narrabri transport operator Lex Gordon about heavy truck traffic past Narrabri West School, which were supported by community members and several Narrabri councillors, have resulted in the announcement of a major upgrade to road safety and traffic movement at Narrabri West.
Further lobbying of the NSW government by councillors Ron Campey, Ron Campbell and Cameron Staines has resulted in re-routing of heavy trucks away from Narrabri West Public School, re-opening of the long closed old Newell Highway rail crossing at Narrabri West, closure of the rail crossing nearest the school and a major realignment of Old Turrawan Road access onto the Kamilaroi Highway near the rail overpass.
And Fraser and Avon streets will be sealed along their lengths to Old Turrawan Road.
The present Newell Highway route will not be affected.
The total cost of the project, the ‘Narrabri West Precinct Freight Transport Activation’, will be $3,317,000.00. The shire council contribution is $450,000.00.
Under the new road network configuration, trucks, whose movements were restricted by a curfew, will no longer drive past the West Public School.
The Roads and Maritime Services director, Western, Alistair Lunn joined the mayor Cathy Redding, senior council staff and Member for Barwon Mr Humphries at the site to unveil the new traffic route upgrades.
The re-routing of trucks away from the immediate school environs has been long sought, and has helped inform the planned new and more efficient road transport configuration.
Cr Campbell and Cr Staines took copies of the plan to a meeting with Ministers in Sydney to explain the importance of the project to the region.
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