Wollombi Road Upgrades

Finalised REF

The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is the planning approval document for the project and is a requirement under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The REF was prepared to consider all matters affecting, or likely to affect the environment as a result of the proposed activities associated with the upgrade of Wollombi Road (Stage 1).

The exhibition period of the REF is now complete. Council has taken into consideration the response from the community and the REF has now been finalised. A copy of this can be found below.

Engagement Report

The project team would like to thank everyone who participated in the Public Exhibition of the Wollombi Road Upgrade Project, Review of Environmental Factors which ran from 14 March to 3 May 2024. We appreciate the time and effort put into the submissions.

Cessnock City Council has reviewed all submissions and developed the Engagement Report - Wollombi Road - Review of Environmental Factors & Design Options.

During the public exhibition period, we received 269 submissions. Key themes included traffic flow, construction impact, project prioritisation, and pedestrian safety. The full list of themes and our responses can be found in the report.

Hard copies are also available at Cessnock Library, Kurri Kurri Library, and the Administration Building in Vincent Street, Cessnock.

Stage 1: Upgrading Wollombi Road between Abbotsford Street, Bellbird and West Avenue, Cessnock. 

Stage 2: Upgrading Wollombi Road between West Avenue and Vincent Street, Cessnock.

Wollombi Road upgrades were identified in the Bellbird North Section 94 Contributions Plan in 2009 following the rezoning of the Bellbird North Urban Release Area.

Throughout 2015-2018, the Cessnock community was consulted on the development of the Cessnock Traffic and Transport Strategy (CCTS) 2018. In 2023 Council undertook further community consultation and the CTTS was updated to reflect changes in population growth forecast.

The purpose of the Cessnock Traffic and Transport Strategy 2023 is to provide a long-term vision that can be used to guide transport related decision making between now and 2041. It identifies a range of actions that Council, the NSW State Government, and other stakeholders need to consider to improve and optimise the transport network for years to come.

Both the 2018 and 2023 CTTS identified the Wollombi Road upgrade as a critical part of the broader traffic strategy

Traffic congestion is a growing area of concern in maintaining efficient operation and function of the road. If not addressed, congestion will continue to impact productivity, safety and the reliability of travel times for businesses and the community. It could also affect the amenity of the town, and undermine the lifestyle enjoyed by residents and visitors. 

Update: November 2024

There will be night work at the intersection of Wollombi Road and Alexander Street. These works are scheduled to take place on one or more nights between Monday 25 November and Friday 29 November , subject to Transport for NSW approval and weather conditions.

This night work is part of our ongoing site investigations to locate existing utility services on Wollombi Road. While most of this work has been completed during the day over the past four weeks, this work is necessary to finish the job. 

How will the investigation work affect you?
To locate the utilities, we will be using a hydro-vacuum excavation truck, which safely removes soil with water and suction. Some construction noise is anticipated, however we will make every effort to minimise noise by turning off machinery when not in use. While we’ll work as efficiently as possible to complete the job quickly, we may need the entire night depending on how the work progresses. As the work is in or next to live traffic lanes, out of hours is the safest way to conduct it.

We will not be closing any roads for this work. Speed limits may be reduced in some sections of Wollombi Road during this time, which could lead to minor delays and queuing. Traffic controllers and signage will be in place to alert pedestrians and motorists of the changed conditions.

The construction contractor is set to be appointed by the end of the year, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2025.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to keeping you informed as the project progresses. 

Update: October 2024

To help finalise our plans, we need to carry out some site investigations to locate some existing utility services on Wollombi Road – from the intersections of West Avenue, Cessnock down to Abbotsford Street, Bellbird.

These investigations are expected to start from Monday 28 October and will take about four weeks to complete, weather permitting. Most activity will be carried out between the hours of 7am and 5pm.

We’re currently in the final stages of completing the road design. Once it’s ready, we will share it with the community, which we expect to happen in late November 2024.

How will the investigation work affect you?

To locate the utilities, we will be using a hydro-vacuum excavation truck, which safely removes soil with water and suction. This may create some noise, however we will make every effort to minimise noise by turning off machinery when not in use.

While we will not be closing any roads for this work, speed limits may be reduced in some sections of Wollombi Road during this time, which could lead to minor delays and queuing. Traffic controllers and signage will be in place to alert pedestrians and motorists of the changed conditions.

The construction contractor is set to be appointed by the end of the year, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2025.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to keeping you informed as the project progresses. 

Update: July 2024

During July 2024, you may see some of our workers along Wollombi Road, carrying out some geotechnical investigations, surveys, potholing, and service locating. This is to help inform the detailed design of this project.

The work may include some short-term closing of road shoulders, or travel lanes along Wollombi Road.

Traffic controllers will be in place to direct traffic and pedestrians. Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic control.

Update: February 2024

From Tuesday 6 February night work will be undertaken on Wollombi Road. The investigation work will include utility locating and mapping, and CCTV inspections of existing stormwater infrastructure.

The work will take place Sunday to Thursday nights only between 9pm and 5am, and will take up to two weeks to complete, weather permitting.

Traffic control will be in place and there may be some impacts to local traffic flow.

Please drive carefully. Access for residents will not be impacted. Thank you for your patience while we complete this important work.

Update: December 2023

Since early October 2023 site investigations have been carried out on Wollombi Road from Vincent Street to Abbotsford Street to help inform the project team of any significant constraints that may affect the upgrade. Investigations included:

• Surveying and measuring height and widths
• Drilling and collecting information on the road condition
• Assessing the condition and location of inground services
• Reviewing the stormwater system
• Undertaken noise monitoring
• Assessing the condition of the existing footpath, kerbs, bus stops and lights.

Most of this work is now complete, with some inground service investigations to be completed in early 2024. Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding during this important work.

Work will now begin on the development of a preferred concept design for the project and environmental investigations will be carried out to inform the project’s Review of Environmental Factors which will be on public display in 2024.

View the December community update(PDF, 3MB) for the latest project news.

Update: September 2023

The tender for the preliminary engineering contract was awarded to KBR in late August 2023. Stage  1 and 2 site investigations work will commence on Wollombi Road, between Vincent Street to Abbotsford Street in early October 2023. Site investigations include surveying, identifying underground services and conducting geotechnical investigations. These detailed engineering investigations within the road corridor will help inform the design and any significant constraints that may affect the project. Impacted residents and businesses will be notified before work commences. Early consultation with business owners and local residents continues to be undertaken. All early feedback is considered valuable and will help inform the design and planning of the upgrade.

Update: August 2023

Consultation with business owners and local residents continues to be undertaken. A 'Coffee with a Councillor' event was held 12 July, where some attendees joined the project notification list. For community members wishing to join the notification list, or would like to ask council questions relating directly to this project, please call 1800 290 991 or email wollombiroadupgrade@cessnock.nsw.gov.au

Stage 1 & 2 Investigation works will commence pending the Council acceptance of the Preliminary Engineer tender.  A Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is being undertaken, to examine potential environmental impacts of the development along the nominated project zone.

Update: June 2023

Field investigation works will commence in late July / August. This may consist of geotechnical investigations, service locations and surveying. This will allow initial designs to be generated which will address issues such as parking and layouts. Consultation will commence in advance of this by discussing aspects of the project and opportunities and issues with local residents and business owners.

Update: April 2023

The project is currently in the early stages of the design process. There is a lot of investigation and development work to be done before construction can commence. This includes early community engagement, environmental approval, survey and several other engineering investigations.

The Cessnock Local Government Area is experiencing rapid growth, and the upgrade of Wollombi Road is essential to accommodate current and forecasted traffic growth and to alleviate congestion on our roads.

The upgrade of Wollombi Road is well understood as a local transport priority, with Council identifying the need as far back as 2009 in the Bellbird North Section 94 Contributions Plan, and reinforced subsequent studies and strategies.

In 2018 the Cessnock LGA community was engaged in the development of the Cessnock LGA Traffic and Transport Strategy 2018. Consultation revealed that one of the key traffic and transport issues identified by the community is congestion along Wollombi Road, particularly during peak periods.

Council publicly exhibited the updated Cessnock LGA Traffic and Transport Strategy (CTTS) 2023. The upgrade of Wollombi Road continues to be identified as a priority infrastructure project that will address the long term growth of Cessnock.

Impact to traffic from developments in 2031 

This graphic shows the impacts to traffic during AM and PM peaks with and without the upgrade work. The green line illustrates free flowing traffic, the orange line restricted traffic with some delays and the red line highly restrictive traffic with queuing and delays. All modelling is based on 2015 traffic volumes with background growth and impact of developments considered.

Planned development and population growth in Bellbird North

This plan shows the scale of the Bellbird North Urban Release area that is approved for housing development and the expected population growth in this specific area.

Projected increase in traffic in West Cessnock

This graphic shows the vehicles travelling on Wollombi Road at peak hours each day from a 2015 study versus projected vehicles travelling on Wollombi Road at peak hours in 2031.

The upgrade of Wollombi Road will deliver high-quality infrastructure that supports the local community and improve accessibility which is crucial for our growing region.

Upgrading Wollombi Road will also directly benefit and accelerate the release of future residential development within the Bellbird North Urban Release Area (URA) and will support the development of approximately 3,500 new dwellings.

• Reduced congestion and improved traffic flow along Wollombi Road

• Improved road safety, efficiency and travel times 

• Fit for purpose infrastructure for a growing area, benefiting local businesses and tourism

The Wollombi Road upgrade is a major council project and will be funded through a combination of funds from the NSW Accelerated Infrastructure Fund and development contributions. Other funding avenues are being explored to fund Stage 2 of the project.

The construction contractor for Stage 1 of the project is set to be appointed by the end of the year, with construction scheduled to start in early 2025. As soon as we can, we will outline a timeline for works across the project area. 

We’ll be in touch in early 2025 with more information around timing near you – although, please note that these timings will be approximate. 

Works are scheduled to be completed in late 2026, weather permitting.

Throughout the duration of construction, our aim is to maintain two lanes of traffic (one in each direction), where possible.

Traffic changes will be managed closely throughout the project, and construction will be carried out in sections to minimise impacts.

The community will be kept up to date on any traffic changes through regular communications including updates on social media and Council’s website, in addition to road signage. 

Council plans to continue into Vincent Street from West Avenue. This is Stage 2 of the project and will require further funding.

Stage 2 is included in the investigations and preliminary engineering design work. An options assessment was conducted for Stage 2, and a preferred design has been determined. This allows Council to process more quickly with Stage 2 once funding is available.

We will keep you updated on the status of the delivery of Stage 2.

A program of early community and stakeholder engagement commenced in July 2023.

This early engagement meant that Council could gather community feedback to inform the design and planning of the road upgrade. 

Through a series of community engagement activities and events, Council was also able to raise awareness about the project and the need to cater for growth in the LGA. 

During the face-to-face engagement events, the Council team had over 300 conversations with members of the community and business owners. Our team met or spoke to 64 businesses on Wollombi Road to seek feedback on the project, and how it may impact them both during and after construction.

Council is currently in the final stages of completing the road design. Once it’s ready, we will share it with the community, which we expect to happen in late November.

We’re also in the process of developing a series of initiatives to help mitigate any disruptions to businesses along Wollombi Road, and we will share these plans with businesses in late November. Additionally, once the construction timeline is confirmed, businesses will have the opportunity to meet with the project team to review the schedule and address any concerns.

Council will continue to work with residents, businesses and key stakeholders as the project progresses, and impacted residents will be notified of any future works.

To contact the project team and comment or raise concerns please contact us via:

• Phone: 1800 290 991  
• Email: wollombiroadupgrade@cessnock.nsw.gov.au