VIDEO: New Milestone for Hexham Straight, Northbound Bridge Demolished

4 March 2025

newy.com.au – Major progress has been made on the Hexham Straight Widening project, with the demolition of the old northbound bridge over Ironbark Creek now complete. This marks a critical step in the broader upgrade of this key stretch of the Pacific Highway, which sees around 50,000 vehicles every day.

The Hexham Straight Widening project is one of three major road projects being delivered simultaneously in Newcastle, alongside the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace and the Inner City Bypass (Rankin Park to Jesmond section). While the M1 extension has been allocated $2.24 billion in funding (with $1.79 billion from the Australian Government and $448 million from NSW), the Hexham Straight Widening is a separate but complementary initiative aimed at improving safety and traffic flow on this critical stretch of the Pacific Highway.

The newly completed southbound bridge has been open to traffic since November 2024, currently carrying two lanes in each direction. Work is now underway on a second structure, which will serve as the new northbound bridge. When both bridges are completed, each will carry three lanes of traffic, easing congestion and improving travel times.

Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon, praised the rapid progress of the project, highlighting the impact it will have on daily commuters.

“This project will help tens of thousands of people get where they are going more quickly and safely while also being a catalyst for major economic growth in our region,” she said.

She also highlighted the practical benefits, noting that the widening of Hexham Straight and the new bridges are expected to shave up to nine minutes off commute times.

“This is time people can better spend with their families and people they love. No one wants to be sitting in congestion behind a wheel a minute longer than they have to,” she added.

The Hexham Straight upgrade is one of several major infrastructure projects reshaping Newcastle’s road network, including the completion of the Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Inner City Bypass and the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace.

State Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp, highlighted how critical the project is for both local commuters and the freight industry.

“I know the massive difference this project will mean for tens of thousands of people doing the same commute I did, living in Newcastle and working in Maitland,” he said.

Crakanthorp also praised the partnership between the state and federal governments in delivering major road upgrades.

“This is a wonderful example of how well state and federal governments can work together to get great outcomes for our local community, not just now but right into the future for our children and our children’s children,” he said.

A frequently requested yet controversially omitted feature of the Newcastle-Inner City Bypass is a grade-separated overpass at Maitland Road (i.e., an arrangement that eliminates traffic lights at the end of the bypass). However, a spokesperson for Transport for NSW told Newy 87.8 FM that the current widening upgrade does not include an overpass, though provisions have been made for a grade-separated interchange if required in the future.