EVEN before he was sworn into his brand new ministry, Regional Roads and Transport Minister Paul Toole was talking up what could be achieved in the role - and really talking it up.
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The Bathurst MP was perhaps buoyed by his strong showing at the recent state election where he defied a statewide swing against the Nationals to slightly increase his two-candidate preferred margin, but he did not hesitate in jumping in where other politicians have feared to tread.
And the big ticket item for the thousands of residents living west of the Great Dividing Range was Mr Toole's bullish hopes for an upgraded Great Western Highway to dramatically cut travel times into Sydney.
The Coalition Governement has already committed to a $2.5 billion 31-kilometre duplication of the highway between Lithgow and Katoomba, and local communities will be demanding real action on that promise sooner rather than later.
But, as Mr Toole conceded when interviewed by the Western Advocate this week, the real time savings will come from ending the constant speed limit changes ranging from 60km/h to 80km/h through the Blue Mountains.
And the best way to achieve that will likely be a series of tunnels either running on a new route that bypasses towns such as Blackheath and Katoomba or running directly beneath the towns.
It would be a massive project and one that came with a massive price tag, but there would also be massive benefits.
Opening up the Central West would not only allow local produce to arrive in the Sydney market more quickly and more cheaply, but would also provide a much-needed pressure valve for the booming Sydney population.
It's around 110km as the crow flies from Bathurst to Penrith but it currently takes just over two hours in the car to drive it.
Clearly there are time savings to be made if engineering solutions - and financial solutions - can be found.
Perhaps the first move should be to formally shelve plans for a Bells Line Expressway in favour of major upgrades to the Great Western Highway.
The Central West might have to give up on the idea of two upgraded links to Sydney in favour of one massively upgraded highway - with tunnels and 100km/h speed limits.
But can it ever happen?
Maybe, maybe not - but if we don't dare to dream we don't stand a chance.
