M1 Pacific Motorway extension hits bridge foundation milestone on Hunter upgrade

newy.com.au – Work to extend the M1 Pacific Motorway between Black Hill and Raymond Terrace reached a milestone on Wednesday, with crews driving the final pile to complete foundation works for 11 new bridges along the 15-kilometre corridor.

The milestone clears the way for the next phase of high-intensity construction on the $2.24 billion project, jointly funded by the Federal Albanese and NSW Minns Labor governments, with the Commonwealth contributing $1.792 billion and NSW contributing $448 million.

Project teams have installed 278 bridge piles since February 2024, including 173 piles for a 2.6-kilometre viaduct designed to span the Hunter River and surrounding floodplain. Sixteen piles were installed directly into the riverbed using heavy-lift barges, an operation described in the release as complex and delivered safely and efficiently.

Some bridges have already opened, including new structures at Black Hill, Tomago and Raymond Terrace, while the Masonite Road bridge at Heatherbrae opened in October. The remaining seven bridges, including the Hunter River viaduct, are expected to open progressively as construction gathers pace.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said the piles were “the literal foundations for the nationally significant M1 extension” and described the work as “a major step forward”. King said the area was “one of the busiest sections of the Pacific Highway” and welcomed the two governments working together “to deliver this major improvement”.

NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said driving the final pile meant “the foundations are done and the finish line is firmly in sight”. Aitchison said, “Along with the Coffs Harbour Bypass, this is a nation-changing piece of infrastructure, and the missing link between Queensland and Victoria – which enable everyone to drive between these two states without passing through a single traffic light.”

NSW Minister for the Hunter and for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said completing the bridge foundations was “another step closer to improving how people move to, from and around the region”, adding the project would “improve safety, reliability and supports the Hunter as it continues to grow”.

Federal Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson said the foundations would “stand for decades”, while Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said the extension was “critical to keeping Newcastle and the Hunter moving” and pointed to the “frustrating” bottleneck at Hexham. State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said the milestone was “a huge win for the Hunter workforce and local businesses”.

The project would also deliver the Hexham Straight widening to improve journeys across the Hunter, with bridge openings to continue progressively as construction advances.