As part of the Great Western Highway upgrade at Lawson, it is planned to realign and widen the highway between Bass Street and Ridge Street, Lawson, to a four lane divided road.
Status
Construction started in February 2009.
A supplementary Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the proposed relocation of a water main is currently on display and comments are invited until 23 November 2009.
For further information click on the links in the box at the bottom of the page.
Funding
This section of the Great Western Highway upgrade is fully funded by the NSW Government.
Overview - Bass Street to Honour Avenue
Property adjustments to the Baptist Church and heritage building Tahlia have been completed.
Overview - Honour Avenue to Ridge Street
The RTA, in consultation with Blue Mountains City Council and the local community, has assessed a number of options for this section of the highway including a bypass of the town and the RTA's approved option is to reconstruct and widen along the route of the existing highway. The Blue Mountains City Council is redeveloping the Lawson shopping centre under its Lawson Town Centre Masterplan.
Project features
- Widen the highway to four lanes with a central median and bicycle facilities.
- Upgrading New Street from ‘one way’ to ‘two way’ traffic movements in conjunction with a new signalised intersection at the highway.
- Widening the railway overpass bridge at San Jose Avenue and a new signalised intersection at the highway.
- Upgrading the intersection of Orient, Charles and Ridge streets with a full right turn ‘seagull’ type arrangement.
- Modifying the Honour Avenue intersection to permit only left-in movements and closure of Yileena Avenue at the highway.
- Constructing a shared pedestrian/cycle path along the south side of the highway.
- Provide convenient shop front parking on the proposed service road between New and Staples streets.
Community consultation
A masterplan for the development of the township has been prepared by Blue Mountains City Council in consultation with the residential and business communities.
The highway upgrade will provide access to the township and parking along the service road between New and Staples streets and is compatible with Council’s masterplan. It is the RTA’s intention to stage the highway works so that businesses can continue to trade with the least possible disruption.
The RTA is continuing to work with Council to ensure that the needs of highway users, the local community and businesses are met.
Following community discussion about the options for Lawson, the RTA developed a preferred plan. A review of environmental factors documented the impacts of the planned upgrade. These documents were displayed for community comment in February and March 2005. All submissions to the review were considered before deciding whether to adopt, reject or modify the proposal. The project was determined on 20 July 2006 and information on changes, improvements and/or modifications to the proposal was provided to the community.
The documents can be viewed or downloaded from the documents box at the bottom of this page.
Heritage management
Wherever possible the RTA has planned the highway works to retain and restore items of heritage significance to the community. These include:
- The successful relocation and restoration of Lawson Baptist Church and Tahlia in 2006.
- A revised highway realignment design so that only the extension of the portico on the Mechanics Institute building will be removed.
- A design for Douglass Square that complements the war memorial and the site's sense of history.
- Only the 1940s addition to the front facade of the Blue Mountain Hotel is being removed.
- Retention of four recognized heritage residences west of Lawson shops, with one of the residences to be relocated further back on its block.
- However, a fifth heritage house (of brick construction) cannot feasibly be relocated and will have to be demolished.
- Retention of the State Heritage listed railway pedestrian ramp to the station with adjustments.
Next steps
RailCorp is currently relocating the railway siding.
The RTA began construction of the highway upgrade between Bass and Ridge streets in February 2009. Initial works include establishing storm water detention basins, relocating utilities and installing concrete barriers, fencing and line marking for the construction work zones.
The highway is being constructed by a project team consisting of the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd and Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd, known as the Lawson alliance.
For a question and answer sheet on the RTA and alliance projects, click here.
Contact us
Lawon village redevelopment
For more information on the Lawson village redevelopment contact the Blue Mountains City Council project manager on phone 4780 5535.
Highway upgrade
For further information on the project please contact Denise Wilson and Wendy Carlson from the project alliance during business hours on:
After hours:
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