F3 TO BRANXTON LINK HIGHWAY

For an RTA map of the proposed route click HERE.

Length: 39.5km

Location: From the junction of F3 and Newcastle Link Road at Seaham to the New England Highway west of Branxton.

Project Status: Final approval pending following EIS exhibition.

Project Details:
Currently the F3 Sydney-Newcastle Freeway appears to meet its northern end at a somewhat impractical location. A large roundabout feeds traffic from the freeway in 3 directions with no definitive route for north-south National highway traffic.

A number of proposals have been suggested over the years to make a more complete northern terminus for the F3. One that has been discarded was to continue it from the current northern end at John Renshaw Drive in a north-westerly direction creating an outer Maitland bypass. The latest proposal now sees a new link freeway commencing at the F3/Newcastle Link Road interchange at Seaham then heading north-west to join the New England Highway just west of Branxton.

When approved and constructed this link freeway will form part of the Sydney-Brisbane corridor of the National Highway.

The project, because it will form part of the National Highway, will be Federally funded and is estimated to cost $335 million. The construction timetable will be set subject to the Federal funding allocation.
Technical details of the project are as follows:

Commencing at the F3/Newcastle Link Road junction (0.0km) there will be an interchange with large radius roundabouts on both sides of the existing freeway. A westbound ramp (F3-new link) will take off from the existing northbound off-ramp. Thee route will then head in a north-westerly direction passing under John Renshaw Dr and Buchanan Rd (9.9km) at a full grade separated interchange. At MR 295 (formerly MR 218) (13.9km) near Kurri Kurri the link freeway will pass under with connecting ramps to large radius roundabouts on each side. Both Hart Rd (16.7km) and Allandale Rd (27.5km) will pass over the freeway with access ramps to and from the south-east. A new 2-lane connection road to link the freeway to the New England Highway at Greta (32.8km) will be constructed. The freeway link will join the existing New England Highway west of Branxton near Black Creek (38.5km)at an at-grade intersection.

The link freeway will include 41 small culverts and 8 large culverts.

The following bridges will be included:
Blue Gum Creek (3.3km)
Wallis and Surveyors Creeks (10.2km)
South Maitland Railway and Swamp Creek (16.0km)
Bishops Creek (24.6km)
Main Northern Railway (37.8km)
Black Creek (38.3km)

The Greta Link Road will include a bridge over the Main Northern Railway and Anvil Creek.

Provision will be made along the entire route for fauna movement with culverts, tunnels and fencing.


Information Source: F3-Branxton Highway Link, Preferred Activity Report, Roads and Traffic Authority, 9 October 2001.

Last modified 06 Nov 2001
© 2001Lachlan Sims