Paused duplication work resumes at Medlow Bath and Coxs River Road on Great Western Highway

The once-ambitious duplication project has been reduced, for the moment, to two small sections - at Medlow Bath and at Little Hartley - after the Coalition's defeat at federal and state elections and Labor's concerns about costs and clarity.

But even the duplication of those two small sections was thrown into doubt when work was paused at the end of April.

The Blue Mountains Gazette reported in early May that tree-clearing at Medlow Bath in anticipation of the highway duplication had been put on hold and an explanation had been sought from Transport for NSW.

"Following the NSW election, the new Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, is taking an opportunity to be informed on matters relating to her portfolio, including the two packages of work on the Katoomba to Lithgow highway upgrade at Medlow Bath and Coxs River Road," Transport for NSW told the Gazette.

"Transport for NSW is working closely with the minister to provide information on these planned upgrade works, including recent consultation with key community groups.

"While these discussions continue, some activities on the project are able to be paused."

In a new media release from Transport for NSW, it says work has now restarted on the road upgrades at Medlow Bath and Coxs River Road, "with the addition of a number of design improvements identified in consultation with local communities".

Transport for NSW regional director west Alistair Lunn said this followed the pause on the roadwork which took effect at the end of April.

"The NSW Labor Government wanted to ensure they had been briefed on these two projects and understand how the views of the local community had been considered," he said.

"The new Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison visited Medlow Bath and Coxs River Road with the Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle MP a fortnight ago [in early May] to meet with key community groups and hear their thoughts about plans to improve safety and expand capacity through this section of the highway.

"Thanks to that consultation we are now able to confirm that the proposed U-turn bay on Bellevue Crescent in Medlow Bath will be refined to just a laneway that will provide safer access for residents with properties that front onto the highway.

"Transport for NSW will also increase lane widths through the town from 3.35 metres to 3.5 metres. Community feedback has also prompted us to modify access to the pedestrian bridge, which has been redesigned in consultation with the local community."

From the same discussions with the community in Hartley Valley, Transport for NSW will now further refine the Baaners Lane intersection to increase safety and provide variable speed signs to slow traffic in foggy weather, Mr Lunn said.

"We have also determined that the Coxs River Road upgrade will now open at 80km/h, in line with the current speed limit," Mr Lunn said.

"All work on both upgrades will now proceed, after some activities were temporarily paused to allow for government and community to consider the projects."

Transport for NSW originally planned for the speed limit to rise to 100 kilometres on the Great Western Highway through Hartley and to the base of Victoria Pass as part of the highway duplication project.

Transport for NSW says that, once work is complete, there will be four traffic lanes through Medlow Bath separated by a median, with dedicated turning lanes, new traffic lights and left turning bay at the intersection with Bellevue Crescent (on the Katoomba end of the village), and a new pedestrian bridge for improved access from the train station across the highway and to Railway Parade.

At the Coxs River Road section of the highway, meanwhile, Transport for NSW says 2.4 kilometres of existing highway will be upgraded to create a four-lane divided carriageway, with separate low speed roads for local traffic and safer access to local businesses like the Lolly Bug.

There will also be a road bridge to carry motorists on Coxs River Road over the highway at Little Hartley.

Transport for NSW told the Western Advocate in April that geotechnical investigations are continuing in the Blue Mountains "so that contracts for the remaining work [for the highway upgrade] can be procured as soon as possible" when funding is available in the future.

TRANSPORT for NSW has warned motorists of changed traffic conditions at Medlow Bath for tree clearing as part of the highway duplication.

It says work to support the widening of the highway will include clearing trees on both sides of the highway from the Mazda dealership to about 400 metres south of Bellevue Crescent.

Work hours will be 7am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, with no work on public holidays.

In addition, night work will take place for up to three nights a week from Tuesday, May 30 and continue through the winter months, weather permitting.

Night work hours will be 6pm to 7am.

Work is expected to take 12 weeks to complete, weather permitting.

Transport for NSW says temporary traffic changes will be in place, including a reduced speed limit of 40 kilometres an hour and traffic control when required.

A SPOKESPERSON for the Medlow Bath Residents Association told the Blue Mountains Gazette that the group was saddened to see the trees go.

"Such an avenue of trees was the vision of Mark Foy for his iconic Hydro Majestic Hotel. Instead there shall be concrete and asphalt from the historic stone fence of the Hydro Majestic to the railway fence," the spokesperson said.

"We would have preferred to see the millions of dollars directed to first improving the safety aspects of highway approaching Medlow Bath in either direction.

"This is where there have been many truck and car incidents, sadly including some fatalities."

Medlow Bath Highway Action Group president Stephen Caswell, meanwhile, said that "spending $174 million of taxpayers' money on a 1.2km straight stretch of road that has had no accidents and no fatalities when on either side of Medlow Bath village there are regular accidents and fatalities is a travesty".