A key road linking two shires will be upgraded with a $792,000 grant to make it strong enough for heavy freight loads, Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke announced today.
Marrar Road South links Coolamon Shire and Junee Shire and will be upgraded to allow B Double trucks to use it safely.
“This is a key road which at the moment isn’t up to the task of supporting heavy loads, so the NSW Government is providing a Fixing Country Roads grant to upgrade a stretch more than five kilometres long,” Ms Cooke said.
“Upgrading this road will remove 449 heavy vehicle movements from alternative routes, which is the equivalent of 24,498 kilometres.
“That’s a massive saving in time and costs for freight operators, meaning greater efficiency for everybody involved in the supply chain.
“There will also be a reduction in wear and tear on other roads and, perhaps most importantly of all, there will be improved safety,” Ms Cooke added.
Coolamon Shire Council made the application which was supported by Junee Shire Council, Ms Cooke added.
“It’s a typical example of rural teamwork where two shire councils pull together to achieve a great goal,” Ms Cooke said.
Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey, said the Fixing Country Roads program had reached almost $346 million, funding vital road upgrades delivering better connections to local communities.
“Freight is worth more than $60 billion to the NSW economy. It is critical that NSW has a state of the art freight network as the global marketplace continues to become more competitive,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Since 2011, The Nationals have delivered more than 600 kilometres of sealed roads, almost 200 bridges upgraded and 28 truck washes built or upgraded, all delivered through the Fixing Country Roads program.”
The Nationals in government have invested $557 million into 310 projects across NSW, under the Fixing Country Roads and Fixing Country Rail programs.
More details can be found online at: www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/programs/fixing-country-roads.
