Singleton Bypass marks one year of major works as 2026 opening target approaches

6 December 2025

newy.com.au – Major construction on the $700 million Singleton Bypass has passed the one year mark, the eight-kilometre New England Highway upgrade is due to open in late 2026.

The bypass is billed as a once in a generation fix for one of the Hunter’s longest standing traffic bottlenecks, the project expected to take around 15,000 vehicles a day out of Singleton’s CBD, bypass five sets of traffic lights and cut congestion and freight delays for the 26,000 motorists who use this stretch of highway each day. The project is Funded through a $560 million contribution from the Federal Government and $140 million from the State Government

The aerial vision above shows construction stretching along the full eight kilometre alignment, with more than 1,300 workers having been active on the site over the past year and work now underway on every major element of the project.

All six bridges on the route are under construction, including the 1.6‑kilometre Hunter Floodplain bridge, which is now 80% complete and described as “region-shaping” by project backers. More than 500,000 cubic metres of earthworks have been placed, roughly the equivalent of 200 Olympic swimming pools while council’s new water pump station nears completion and crews push ahead on drainage, utilities relocation, pavement, noise walls and safety screens.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the long‑promised upgrade was finally being delivered by Labor at both levels of government. “This project has been talked about for generations, but it’s the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments delivering it,” King said. “The Singleton Bypass will take thousands of vehicles off Singleton’s main road, improving safety, and slashing travel times across the region.”

NSW Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said local communities had been “long […] asking for a solution to congestion, heavy traffic and safety concerns” and the bypass would “transform how people move around the Hunter, making travel safer, faster and more efficient for the thousands of people who live in, visit and travel through our region”. “We are seeing real progress on the ground. No one backs our regional communities like a Labor Government,” Catley said.

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the progress on site showed “exactly what happens when governments genuinely invest in regional communities” after decades of frustration for Singleton motorists. “Two new bridges are already providing an alternate route for heavy vehicles working on the project, minimising the impact of construction on the local road network […] so the benefits are being felt even before opening day,” she said. “This is a game‑changing investment in the Hunter, safer roads, stronger freight links and a smoother drive for everyone who calls Singleton and the Hunter home.”

Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi said the project was already delivering “local jobs, local investment and a long‑overdue fix for congestion that has plagued Singleton for years”, with more than 1,300 jobs supported during construction. “The project is already boosting our economy, and the benefits will keep coming when the new bypass opens,” he said, thanking Transport for NSW and “the entire construction workforce for the incredible progress so far”.

NSW Labor spokesperson for Upper Hunter Emily Suvval said the bypass was “exactly the kind of infrastructure Hunter communities have been crying out for: practical, local and life-changing”. “Removing one of the region’s worst choke points will make it easier to get to work, get kids to school and get freight where it needs to go. It’s a huge win for the Upper Hunter,” she said.

Major construction will continue along the alignment over the next year, with bridge works, pavement and finishing works to be completed before the bypass opens to traffic in late 2026, weather permitting.