After several delays, due to the weather, work is set to restart on the construction of the interchanges for the Rankin Park to Jesmond project.

From now, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will focus on the northern junction to open the permanent right-turn lanes for motorists travelling west on Newcastle Road onto the Newcastle Inner City Bypass towards University Drive.

This will mean road-users heading westbound on Newcastle Road can turn right at the new signalised intersection before the bridge and travel underneath the third span to access the northbound lanes of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass from Tuesday 13 May.

In order to finish, crews are slated to work from 7pm to 5am, until Tuesday 7 May, and again on Sunday 11 May and Monday 12 May.

With the eastbound lanes being closed, detours of up to 2.5 kilometres will be in place during this time, which may add up to 10 minutes to travel times.

There’ll also be intermittent single lane closures on the westbound lanes for Newcastle Road as well as the Newcastle Inner City Bypass.

B-doubles, vehicles of wide loads (up to 4.5m wide) and under 5.9m height clearance are permitted to travel through the intersection on Newcastle Road at Jesmond.

Over-Size Over-Mass (OSOM) operations with a ground contact wider than 3.2m or with overall width greater than 4.5m are advised to contact the project team at least one day ahead of movement on 1800 818 433.

Significant delays can occur if they fail to do so.

Work will resume on the southern intersection of Lookout Road and McCaffrey Drive, New Lambton Heights, from 7pm on Friday 16 May to 5am on Monday 19 May.

It’ll include earthworks, new pavement and asphalting, stormwater drainage installation, utility relocation, construction of new shared user paths and signage.

To carry it out, there’ll be changed traffic conditions.

Lookout Road will be reduced to one lane each way and McCaffrey Drive will be closed in both directions between Lookout Road and Marshall Street.

Detours of up to five kilometres are in place during this time, which may add up to 15 minutes to travel times.

Footpath access will be maintained on the eastern side of Lookout Road throughout the work, while entry on McCaffrey Drive will be closed.

The two bus stops on Lookout Road will be relocated north.

During the weekend closure of McCaffrey Drive, the bus stops west of Marshall Street a closed, too, while the bus stop opposite Elbrook Drive is relocated. 

Heavy vehicles with a ground contact or with overall width greater than 3m are advised to contact the project team at least one day ahead of movement on 1800 818 433.

From Monday 19 May, motorists will start travelling over the new bridge structure and be switched to the signalised intersection at Lookout Road and McCaffrey Drive.

M1 to Raymond Terrace – Black Hill to Tomago project

Construction continues along the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace project.

To minimise its impact, work will be carried out at night at the following locations:

• From 7pm to 5am on Monday 5 May, Tuesday 6 May and Friday 9 May, the eastbound off-ramp from the New England Highway to Anderson Drive will be closed with a detour in place via New England Highway/Maitland Road
• From 7pm to 5am on Monday 5 May, Tuesday 6 May and Friday 9 May, the eastbound and westbound lanes of the New England Highway will be under a contraflow arrangement from Tarro Rail Bridge to John Renshaw Drive
• From 7pm to 5am on Monday 5 May, Tuesday 6 May and Friday 9 May, the northbound and southbound lanes of the M1 will be under a contraflow arrangement from Weakley’s Drive to Black Hill Road

Operators of OSOM vehicles with a ground contact wider than 3.2 metres or with overall width greater than 4.5 metres are advised to contact the project team on 0423 323 946 at least one day ahead of proposed movement.

Significant delays can occur if they fail to do so.

Major construction resumes across the remainder of the project from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday; from 8am to 5pm on Saturday; and from 7pm to 5am Monday to Friday.

The work also requires lane closures with intermittent stoppages and temporary speed reductions to 40km/h at the following locations and times:

From 7pm to 5am, from Monday 5 May until Friday 9 May

• M1 Pacific Motorway at Beresfield and Black Hill
• John Renshaw Drive at Beresfield
• New England Highway at Tarro
• Pacific Highway at Tomago and Heatherbrae

From 7am to 5pm, Monday 5 May until Friday 9 May

• Lenaghans Drive at Black Hill
• Old Punt Road near Pacific Highway at Tomago
• New England Highway Eastbound at Tarro

Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and follow the directions of signs and traffic controllers.

New England Highway (Gowrie Gates) at Singleton

Work will take place on the New England Highway at the Gowrie Gates, Singleton, as part of construction for the Singleton Bypass.

TfNSW is installing five bridge girders near the intersection with Maison Dieu Road, about two kilometres north of the CBD.

Each girder is 33 metres long and weighs 83 tonnes.

After their installation, a new height restriction of 5.3m will apply on the New England Highway at Gowrie. 

OSOM vehicles with loads higher than 5.3m are advised to take an alternative route.

To minimise traffic impacts, work’s scheduled from 7pm on Tuesday 6 May to 4am Wednesday 7 May, weather permitting.

Contingency dates are Wednesday 7 May and Thursday 8 May with the same start and finish times.

During this period, traffic will be stopped in both directions on the New England Highway for up to 20 minutes between 9pm and 4am as the girders are lifted into place.

Local traffic on Maison Dieu Road is being detoured via Magpie Street.

Variable Message Signs (VMS) will be in place and live updates are available on Live Traffic NSW.

For more news stories:

• Major funding delivers key upgrades to Wallsend Park
• Labor’s ‘red wave’ crashes over Coalition throughout Hunter
• Traffic conditions to be changed on Maitland Road at Hexham

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