newy.com.au – Newcastle’s $41 million upgrades to Minmi Road and Longworth Avenue are due to be finished before Christmas, as the Hunter approaches a series of major road, hospital and recreation openings expected to change how residents travel, receive care and spend their leisure time.
Minmi Road and Longworth Avenue
For commuters through Wallsend, the completion of Minmi Road and Longworth Avenue will bring two lanes in each direction along the upgraded sections. The council project responds to bottlenecks in Newcastle’s growing western suburbs and includes stormwater and water main improvements, walking and cycling connections, and upgraded traffic signals at Longworth Avenue and Cowper Street. The NSW Government contributed $7.61 million through its Accelerated Infrastructure Fund.
The latest council update says Minmi Road’s final line marking and roundabout works are complete, with landscaping underway. Construction is continuing on the final section of Longworth Avenue near the median opposite Hunter New England Health.
The extra traffic capacity will also change how drivers use the streets. Longworth Avenue will have clearway restrictions during peak periods, allowing street parking outside those times. Right turns from Longworth Avenue into Bean, Cameron and Maitland streets will no longer be available, while existing bus stops will be retained and new shelters installed.
On Minmi Road, the changes include separate eastbound parking, improved pedestrian and cycling connections, and right turn lanes at Anna Place and McNaughton Avenue. Right turns into and out of Mount Street are being removed.
Further night work remains before completion. Council has scheduled asphalt work on Longworth Avenue for 4 and 5 November, weather permitting, followed by night line marking on 11 and 12 November. Drivers will need to follow temporary closures and changing lane arrangements.
Newcastle Inner-City Bypass
A larger change to travel across Newcastle is expected when the Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass opens. The $488.2 million project, funded by the Australian and NSW governments, will complete the bypass’s fifth and final section.
The governments expect the new route to divert up to 30,000 vehicles a day from the existing Lookout Road, Croudace Street and Newcastle Road route. Drivers travelling north to south will be able to avoid up to 11 sets of traffic lights, with peak travel times forecast to be more than halved. Opening remains scheduled before the end of 2026, weather permitting.
John Hunter Hospital’s new acute services building
The improved connection to the John Hunter Hospital precinct is particularly significant as the hospital prepares to bring its new acute services building into use.
Construction of the seven storey building is already complete. The remaining preparation involves installing equipment, testing systems and familiarising staff with the facility before patients are welcomed later this year. The wider John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct investment now totals $890 million, following an additional $55 million in the 2026–27 NSW Budget.
The new facilities include an emergency department designed for projected demand exceeding 95,000 presentations a year, 22 operating theatres, nine interventional suites, maternity and neonatal services, and a rooftop helipad. NSW Health says the redevelopment will increase intensive care capacity by 60 per cent and provide almost 50 per cent more operating theatres.
More than 900 additional parking spaces are also part of the project. Opening the acute services building will not finish the entire redevelopment, with refurbishment of the existing hospital scheduled to follow in 2027.
Singleton Bypass
Further up the Hunter, the $700 million Singleton Bypass is expected to open in late 2026. Its eight kilometre route runs from near Newington Lane south of Singleton to beyond Magpie Street in the north, including a full interchange at Putty Road and a 1.6 kilometre bridge across the Hunter floodplain.
The Australian and NSW governments forecast that the bypass will remove about 15,000 vehicles a day from Singleton’s main street and allow through traffic to avoid five sets of traffic lights. For local residents, the significance extends beyond a faster highway trip to the amount of traffic moving through the town centre.
Singleton Council began reviewing its CBD Masterplan earlier this year to prepare for that change. The review is intended to help the centre remain a destination for shoppers and visitors as more motorists gain the option of travelling around town.
Livvi’s Place and Newcastle Water Park
At Newcastle’s Foreshore Park, the anticipated summer attraction is Livvi’s Place, an inclusive playground incorporating water play, climbing structures and spaces designed for children with different physical and sensory needs.
The free, fully fenced playground is being built at the western end of the park and is expected to open late this year. Its design draws on Newcastle’s industrial and maritime history, including towers reached by accessible ramps and a water play area reflecting the harbour setting. A whale swing and picnic area acknowledge Awabakal and Worimi heritage.
The practical details are central to the project’s purpose. Alongside an accessible slide, carousel and sensory paths, the playground will have shaded seating, a quiet space and electric wheelchair charging points. A Changing Places toilet facility, designed for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets, and a parents’ room are due to open with the playground.
The Sunnyboy Park kiosk and some toilet facilities opened in February. Car park works are also underway, including a dedicated passenger drop-off area for bus groups and wheelchair users, relocated accessible parking near the playground entrance and improved pedestrian connections. Council’s published timetable remains late 2026, without a specific opening day.
Smaller projects
Several smaller projects are also working towards summer or year end milestones. Lake Macquarie City Council’s published target for Blacksmiths boat ramp is reopening for the peak summer season, weather permitting. The replacement includes a concrete ramp with three marked lanes and two floating pontoon jetties.
In Nelson Bay, Port Stephens Council’s 500 metre Halifax to Harwood shared path was scheduled to begin construction on 28 September and take about 11 weeks. That timetable points to a December finish, subject to weather.
Cessnock City Council has also scheduled completion of the Doyle Street Bridge replacement for December.
Hunter Water expects the Belmont northern water main to be completed late this year, subject to weather and construction conditions. The pipeline will connect the Belmont Desalination Plant to the existing network at Jewells. That completion target applies to the water main, rather than the opening of the desalination plant itself.
Join the discussion on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19scb3LMMa/
