State Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr MP, has welcomed news that long awaited works at Testers Hollow are one step closer as Transport for NSW calls for tenders for the Cessnock Road upgrade.
Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow has been the subject of a long running campaign to flood proof the stretch of road that is an important route that connects Cessnock, Kurri Kurri and Maitland and the surrounding communities.
The tender is to raise the height of Cessnock Road at Testers Hallow to provide a more reliable connection during certain flood events. The upgrade would provide a one-in-20 year flood immunity- an improvement on the current one-in-five-year immunity.
“The call for tenders brings us another step closer in the process to getting the road upgraded” said Clayton Barr MP.
The proposed upgrades would raise the height of Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow by 1.5m to provide a more reliable connection during flood events.
“The road improvements have been a long time coming, I have been calling on the Government to fix Testers Hollow for over 9 years, and it is great to finally see some movement in the right direction.” said Mr Barr.
Extensive developments in Heddon Greta, Cliftleigh and Gilleston Heights as well as the opening of the Hunter Expressway have brought the issue to a head after floods cut the road six times in a 10 year period, including the closure of the road for 16 days in 2015 after the April super storm.
“The road provide a vital artery for Kurri Kurri and Cessnock residents who regularly use the road to connect with Maitland and surrounding areas.” said Mr Barr.
The NSW Government have allocated $2 million to the project with the Federal Government contributing $15 million.