One of the Hunter's most transformational road projects has cleared its last hurdle after the Minister for Planning approved the M1 Motorway extension from Black Hill to Raymond Terrace.
By 2028, motorists will no longer face long traffic jams at Hexham Bridge and Beresfield which peak during the school holidays.
The new dual carriageway extension will span a new bridge over the New England Highway and Hunter River before bypassing Heatherbrae to the east and connecting with the Pacific Highway's Raymond Terrace bypass.
The minister's approval notice says construction will be split into two parts, one including the Heatherbrae bypass and the second a southern section bridging the river to Black Hill.
"The northern section would likely have a shorter construction duration and could be opened whilst construction of the crossing across the Hunter River is completed," the approval says
The federal and NSW governments have locked in joint funding for the 15-kilometre road, which has been in the planning pipeline since 2004.
An associated project involves widening the Hexham Straight from four lanes to six. Both projects together will cost $2.1 billion, $1.7 billion of which is federal money.
Hunter Business chief executive Bob Hawes said the extension would have particular benefits for the transport and logistics businesses clustering around Tomago, Beresfield Thornton and Cameron Park.
"We hope the project will move quickly to construction and delivery when you consider the growth ambitions the region has set itself and the critical part the road system plays in terms of the movement of people and goods," he said.
"The benefits of the project will improve connectivity to the region's global gateways of the airport and port and the economic benefits that flow from this will extend beyond the region."
The minister's approval for the extension says the new road will improve "route reliability" along the motorway by cutting congestion and removing five sets of traffic lights between Black Hill and Raymond Terrace.
It says the road will also promote economic growth by connecting the key economic zones at Newcastle Airport, Port of Newcastle, Tomago, Beresfield and Black Hill.
The assessment predicts traffic from the new road will "result in exceedances of operational noise criteria" at 200 houses and "21 other sensitive receivers".
It says the noise pollution will occur where the new motorway alignment is closest to houses and at a new Tarro interchange.
Transport for NSW, which is responsible for building the extension, plans to install new noise barriers and change the existing New England Highway road material to "low-noise pavement".
"At-property architectural noise treatments will be provided at residences and other sensitive receivers where [noise criteria] are exceeded following the implementation of the low-noise pavement and barrier treatments," the ministerial approval says.
The approval also flags property acquisitions along the route and impacts on "potential" koala foraging habitat and 16 hectares of coastal wetlands.
The Department of Planning and Environment's assessment report says Transport for NSW has bought 43 lots for the project and needs to acquire another 36 held by 18 owners.
"Partial acquisition of land may result in the severance or fragmentation of some rural properties, particularly larger land holdings comprising multiple lots," it says.
The approval requires Transport for NSW to "retire" ecological and species credits in accordance with the NSW biodiversity offsets policy for major projects.
These offsets "may include biodiversity stewardship agreements, management of land added to the National Parks estate and supplementary measures".
The assessment says the new bridge will increase flood levels upstream by one to two centimetres as its pylons will impede water flow.
Transport for NSW has short-listed two contractors for the project, an alliance of Georgiou Group, Daracon Contractors and SMEC Australia and another between John Holland and Aurecon Australasia.
The dual carriageway extension includes four interchanges at Black Hill, Tarro, Tomago and Raymond Terrace, an overpass for Masonite Road at Heatherbrae, realigning the New England Highway between John Renshaw Drive and Tarro and realigning the Pacific Highway near the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens.
The Department of Planning's assessment report says construction is due to start next year and end in 2028.
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