Steve Whan
Member for Monaro

MEDIA RELEASE

Next stage of Monaro Highway safety improvements begins at Nimmitabel

Monday, 16 September 2024

Work is continuing along the Monaro Highway as part of the $20 million Monaro Highway upgrade program to improve safety and efficiency on the important link between the ACT and Victorian border.

The Monaro Highway forms part of the key freight, commuter, health, and recreational route between the Snowy Mountains and Sapphire Coast through to the ACT, Sydney, and surrounds. By upgrading the Monaro Highway, we are improving safety for all roads users accessing these zones.

There were 182 crashes reported on the Monaro Highway Corridor between January 2015 and December 2019. Either of these were fatal crashes (resulting in 12 fatalities) and 26 were serious injury crashes.

Motorists will soon experience a safter journey on the highway at Nimmitabel with the next stage of upgrades kicking off this week. Transport for NSW will deliver wider centrelines and widened shoulders, kerb and gutter, and roadside safety barrier on an approximate three-kilometre length between Nimmitabel and Steeple Flat.

The aim of the upcoming project is to reduce the frequency of fatal and serious injury crashes, enhance resilience to road accidents, natural hazards in emergencies and improve traffic efficiency. 

Once completed, stage two of the safety upgrades to the Monaro Highway will deliver a new northbound overtaking lane north of Bredbo, approximately 50 kilometres of widened centreline treatment between ACT and Cooma, and roadside safety improvements, including shoulder widening and barriers installation with motorcycle's underrun, at select locations between Rock Flat and Nimmitabel.

Safety treatments will also include widened road shoulders and centrelines and the installation of audio tactile line marking and roadside safety barriers at two sites south of Nimmitabel and North of Bombala.

Member for Monaro, Steve Whan said:

"This important and ongoing work will begin on Tuesday 17 September and will involve the installation of wider centrelines and road shoulders, rumble strips, and safety barriers, specifically between Nimmitabel and Steeple Flat.

"I've said many times how important a route this is, especially for freight and emergency services. This work coupled with our commitment to remediating the landslip damage on Brown Mountain will ensure we can reduce the risk and severity of traffic incidents.

"As someone who is very familiar with the road, I look forward to this work commencing and commend the efforts of Transport for NSW and Minister Jenny Aitchison's commitment to improving road safety across regional NSW."

Transport for NSW expect the work to be carried out over the next six months, weather permitting, between 7am, and 6pm on weekdays.

Changed traffic conditions including stop/slow traffic control and temporary speed limit of 40km/h will be in place for the duration of work for the safety of workers and motorists.

For the latest traffic updates visit Livetraffic, or download the Live Traffic NSW app.

To receive updates directly to your phone, search for 'Monaro Highway - Nimmitabel' select the incident in your live traffic app, and click follow.