17 December 2013

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor and NSW Member for Burrinjuck Katrina Hodgkinson today announced that the Australian and NSW Governments will provide $300,000 for the completion of a Barton Highway Improvement Strategy.

Mr Taylor said he was delighted and proud to announce the joint commitment. “This is the strongest signal that the Federal and State Governments are committed to joint action on this major freight and commuter route.

“The Strategy will include a staged masterplan for the Barton which will build on previous work that has identified a corridor for duplication of the road.

“Until we have this crucial first step - a comprehensive and staged plan - we cannot go forward. I pay tribute to the enormous amount of work done by Yass Valley Council, in particular Mayor Rowena Abbey, to put the Barton Highway under the microscope,” he said.

Ms Hodgkinson said the Strategy would examine the potential for additional safety works including intersection upgrades, road shoulder widening and extension of existing overtaking lanes.

“I will continue my strong advocacy for funding for full duplication of the Barton Highway and this Strategy will give us a series of staged projects to put to the Federal Government to strengthen that push,” she said.

“I thank NSW Roads and Ports Minister, Duncan Gay, for committing $150,000 of NSW Government funds to this project following my representations and the discussions I arranged for the Minister with Yass Council.”

The Federal share of the project will be funded through the Infrastructure Investment Programme.

In addition to this, Mr Taylor announced that work will start next year on a $4.6 million upgrade of the McIntosh Circuit intersection of the Barton Highway at Murrumbateman.

“Average traffic volumes are more than 12,000 vehicles a day along the southern part of the Barton and in the morning peak period about 25 per cent of traffic turns onto the highway from McIntosh Circuit. There’s a bad history of crashes here, particularly because it’s fog prone,” he said.

“It will create a dedicated right turn channel from McIntosh Circuit onto the Barton Highway, with a lane created on the highway to give drivers time to accelerate before merging with the faster-moving traffic.

“I am extremely proud to be part of a Government that is listening to the community’s concerns and working solidly to achieve the goal of having the highway fully duplicated.”

Please Note: Angus Taylor, Katrina Hodgkinson, Yass Valley Mayor Rowena Abbey and Duplicate the Barton Highway Action Group spokesperson Sophie Wade will be available for a photo on the Barton Highway – intersection of Barton Highway and Hillview Drive at Murrumbateman Tuesday 17 December at 9.15am.