But few will have welcomed the completion of work more than the staff, students and parents at Meadow Flat Public School who have had workers and heavy machinery outside the school gates for the past 12 months.

School principal Michael Wood said it was important to maintain safety while the work was being carried out.

"We are grateful for the extra work carried out as part of this project to help us ensure the safety of students, their families and the local community, with the sealing of the school's pick up and drop off zones," Mr Wood said.

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"We also appreciate the assistance given to us by Transport for NSW to keep everyone safe during construction and it's great to see a new and improved Great Western Highway outside our doorstep."

Bathurst MP and Regional Roads Minister Paul Toole said the upgrade project included rebuilding the road, improving drainage, roadside barriers and widening the centreline and shoulders along a 2.2km section of the highway.

"This part of the Great Western Highway is a key route for residents, visitors and the freight industry because it connects road users to the booming regional centres of Lithgow and Bathurst," Mr Toole said.

"The widened centreline provides room for errant vehicles which reduces the incidence of head-on crashes by up to 50 per cent and run-off road crashes by up to 25 per cent.

"Widened shoulders and approximately 1500 metres of roadside barrier will protect motorists from run off road crashes.

"In some sections, hard rock prevented road widening and needed to be blasted which involved the use of drilling rig to drill small boreholes where low-impact explosives were placed to remove the granite."

Mr Toole praised the Meadow Flat Public School community for its patience during the project.

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