Stage 2 Hawthorne Drive Upgrade Funding Announced

Published on 08 April 2021

Stage 2 Hawthorne Drive Upgrade Funding Announced

Uralla Shire Council’s application under round two of the Fixing Local Roads Program has been successful with Adam Marshall MP making the announcement onsite at Hawthorne Drive together with General Manager Kate Jessep and Deputy Mayor Cr Isabel Strutt.

While Hawthorne Drive is an alternative route to the New England Highway and is known as a picturesque drive, existing road conditions discourage non-essential traffic from using the route.

“The funding for Stage 2 will enable Council to improve the remaining narrow, poorly shaped and failing sections of Hawthorne Drive,” said Kate Jessep, General Manager of Uralla Shire Council.

Prior to this funding, Hawthorne Drive was at significant risk of closure due to run-off crashes and local flooding during periods of heavy rain, which had particular impact on the school bus route and emergency vehicles.

Once the upgrade is completed, it is expected that this scenic route will be used by greater numbers of tourist visitors and recreational travellers which in turn will have a positive impact on the local economy.

“This will improve accessibility and safety for residents and travellers who use this local road in the Uralla Shire,” said Council’s Acting Mayor, Cr Isabel Strutt.

Hawthorne Drive is a local collector which serves an extensive area of small to medium agricultural holdings and rural residential properties to the northwest of Uralla.  The road generally runs parallel to (and due west of) the New England Highway.

The work will involve removing the existing seal, strengthening the pavement by the addition of 100mm quality road base material then compacting, widening, reshaping and resealing the new pavement 7m wide with a 2-coat bitumen seal over two remaining sections with a combined length of 3.15km.

Following completion, the reliability and resilience of the road network will be improved due to a stronger, smoother and more robust pavement for this section of road.

Upgrading Hawthorne Drive will also remove the current need for heavy delivery vehicles and livestock transporters to use the longer detour via Arding Road and the New England Highway and consequently reduce transport costs.

Stage 1 upgrade of Hawthorne Drive is being jointly funded under Round 1 of the Fixing Local Roads Program. Construction works are currently underway on the 2km section north of the Rocky River Road intersection.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Heidi McElnea, Communications Officer, Uralla Shire Council

hmcelnea@uralla.nsw.gov.au | 02 6778 6329 | 0407 448 532