BY JESSICA ROUSE

The NSW Government has committed to further planning of the M1 Pacific Highway extension to aid traffic flow to Raymond Terrace but without a completion date in sight, the missing link could be years away.

The budget revealed a $5 million funding injection for planning adding to the $7 million already given last year for planning a possible exit ramp off the motorway south of Heatherbrae and a free flowing interchange a Tomago in place of the roundabout already there.

After community consultation, last August and September, the plan for a 15 kilometre bypass of Hexham and Heatherbrae linking two of the state’s busiest highways, with interchanges at Tarro, Tomago, Black Hill and Raymond Terrace and a 2.6 kilometre bridge over Woodlands Close, the New England Highway and the Hunter River.
Overview of M1 extension

Image www.rms.nsw.gov.au

NRMA Hunter Chairman Kyle Loades says once planning is completed money will start to be poured into the project.

“So it’s important to understand that the process is there for good reason – you have to get the planning right, you’ve got to get the project shovel-ready and then you can attract the funds. The planning hasn’t been completed yet so we’re hoping that this will be the last year of planning.”

“We’re very confident that this won’t be just left idol for a decade. This will be committed to in the next year or so and let’s get on with it because it’s a massive bottleneck for Hunter motorists today and/or when people head north on holidays,” said Kyle Loades.