Road Network Strategy 2020 New England Road Network Strategy Final Report Contact Information Document Information Cardno (NSW/ACT) Pty Ltd Prepared for New England Joint ABN 95 001 145 035 Organisation Project Name Final Report Level 9 - The Forum 203 Pacific Highway File Reference 201111_NEJO_RNS_Final St Leonards NSW 2065 Report.docx Australia Job Reference 80020022 www.cardno.com Phone +61 2 9496 7700 Date 24 November 2020 Fax +61 2 9439 5170 Document History Version Effective Date Description of Revision Prepared by Reviewed by 1 12/11/19 Summary Report Elizabeth Muscat Andrew Malowiecki Andrew Malowiecki Larissa Miller Larissa Miller 2 19/11/19 Summary Report – Rev A Elizabeth Muscat Larissa Miller Andrew Malowiecki Chris Slenders 3 03/02/20 Summary Report Update Elizabeth Muscat Andrew Malowiecki Hayden Calvey Larissa Miller Sabal Sharma 4 31/03/20 Summary Report Update Elizabeth Muscat Andrew Malowiecki Hayden Calvey Chris Slenders Larissa Miller Andrew Malowiecki 5 8/9/20 Summary Report Update Sabal Sharma Andrew Malowiecki Austin Pepper Andrew Malowiecki 6 11/11/202024/11/20 Final Update Andrew Malowiecki 7 24/11/20 Final Update Andrew Malowiecki © Cardno. 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This report should not be used after any such changes without consulting the provider of the report or a suitably qualified person. 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence ii New England Road Network Strategy Final Report Contents Stage 4 – Identification and Prioritisation of Improvement Initiatives i Contents iii Appendices vii Tables vii Figures ix 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose 1 1.2 New England Joint Organisation 1 1.3 The study area 2 1.4 Stakeholder engagement 2 1.4.1 Stakeholders 2 1.4.2 Purpose 2 1.4.3 Engagement activities 2 1.5 This report 3 2 Strategic context 6 2.1 Federal and State strategies and plans 6 2.2 Regional strategies and plans 10 2.3 Summary of planned and committed transport investment 12 2.4 Emerging trends and technology 14 2.4.1 Policy and planning background 14 2.4.2 Future technologies 14 3 Road network vision and objectives 17 3.1 Road network vision and objectives 17 3.1.1 Vision 17 3.1.2 Objectives 17 3.1.3 Alignment with State Government plans 17 3.2 Performance measures 19 4 The New England region 20 4.1 Land use 20 4.2 Population 23 4.2.1 Current population 23 4.2.2 Forecast growth 23 4.3 Economy 24 4.3.1 Employment 24 4.3.2 Industry sectors 26 4.3.3 Forecast growth 28 4.4 Freight task 29 4.4.1 Overview 29 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence iii New England Road Network Strategy Final Report 4.4.2 RDANI current freight task estimates 30 4.4.3 Transport for NSW future freight estimates 33 4.4.4 Freight movement by mass 39 5 The New England road network 42 5.1 Road network classification 42 5.1.1 State roads 42 5.1.2 Regional roads 43 5.1.3 Local roads 44 5.2 Key road network 55 5.2.2 Road characteristics 57 5.2.3 Key road infrastructure 57 5.2.4 Connectivity 69 5.3 Freight network 69 5.3.1 Overview 69 5.3.2 Restricted vehicle access 69 5.3.3 Description of key freight corridors 74 5.3.4 Rail 81 5.3.5 Intermodal freight hubs 81 5.3.6 Truck rest areas 82 5.3.7 Heavy vehicle safety stations 82 5.4 Airports 83 6 Traffic volumes 85 6.1 State roads 85 6.2 Local roads 89 6.2.1 Armidale Regional LGA 89 6.2.2 Glen Innes Severn LGA 90 6.2.3 Moree Plains Shire LGA 91 6.2.4 Narrabri Shire LGA 93 6.2.5 Tenterfield Shire LGA 96 6.2.6 Inverell Shire LGA 96 6.2.7 Uralla Shire LGA 96 7 Crash history 98 7.1.1 Recorded crash data 98 7.1.2 Crash severity 99 7.1.3 Crash types 99 7.1.4 Time of day 100 7.1.5 Crash locations 101 7.1.6 Crash clusters 103 8 Safety and capacity 109 8.1 Safety 109 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence iv New England Road Network Strategy Final Report 8.1.1 Lack of heavy vehicle rest areas 109 8.1.2 Road and rail spacing constraints 112 8.1.3 Insufficient sight distances 112 8.1.4 Unsafe road user interactions 113 8.1.5 Narrow travel lanes and shoulders 114 8.1.6 Lack of overtaking opportunities 115 8.2 Connectivity 115 8.2.1 Lack of alternative routes 116 8.2.2 Lack of freight access routes 116 8.3 Capacity 120 8.3.1 Bridge constraints 120 8.4 Condition 121 8.4.1 Drainage and flooding issues 121 8.4.2 Unsealed roads 122 8.4.3 Need for road rehabilitation 123 8.4.4 Expensive maintenance 124 8.4.5 Poor road geometry 124 9 Road network vision and objectives 126 9.1 Vision 126 9.2 Objectives 126 10 Road network strategy and improvements 127 10.1 Reduce the number of serious injury and fatality crashes 127 10.1.1 Strategy focus areas 127 10.1.2 Recommended improvements 127 10.2 Reduce interaction between heavy vehicles and other road users 128 10.2.1 Strategy focus areas 128 10.2.2 Recommended improvements 128 10.3 Improve travel times to key freight destinations 128 10.3.1 Strategy focus areas 128 10.3.2 Recommended improvements 129 10.4 Improve local industry access to intermodal terminals, existing airports and the national highway system 129 10.4.1 Strategy focus areas 129 10.4.2 Recommended improvements 131 10.5 Accommodate changing vehicle sizes, standards and technologies 132 10.5.1 Strategy focus areas 132 10.5.2 Recommended improvements 132 10.6 Embrace technologies to reduce operating costs and emissions, and improve safety and efficiency 132 10.6.1 Strategy focus areas 132 10.6.2 Recommended improvements 133 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence v New England Road Network Strategy Final Report 10.7 Reduce the disruptions and delays to road users from planned and unplanned road closures 133 10.7.1 Strategy focus areas 133 10.7.2 Recommended improvements 134 10.8 Prioritisation of improvements 135 10.8.1 Identification of projects and programs 135 10.8.2 Local roads prioritisation 146 10.8.3 State roads prioritisation 147 10.9 Monitoring and review 148 11 Conclusion 151 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence vi New England Road Network Strategy Final Report Appendices No table of contents entries found. Tables Table 2-1 Planned and under investigation or construction projects and initiatives 12 Table 3-1 Alignment with NSW Government plans 18 Table 3-2 Performance measures 19 Table 4-1 Land use breakdown 20 Table 4-2 Recent population trends 23 Table 4-3 Population projection (2011 – 2036) 24 Table 4-4 NEJO sectoral employment 2016 25 Table 4-5 Primary industry based activity in NEJO LGAs 26 Table 4-6 Estimates of local population‐based freight demands 30 Table 4-7 Cereal grain, sorghum, oilseed, and legume: freight generation from NEJO 31 Table 4-8 Cotton seed and lint: freight demands based on 2005/06 results 31 Table 4-9 Broad‐acre crop inputs: freight demands 32 Table 4-10 Sheep production ‐ freight demands of NEJO 32 Table 4-11 Beef cattle production ‐ freight demands of NEJO 33 Table 4-12 Commodity Concordance by Market Segment 33 Table 4-13 Estimated daily HV trips wholly within NEJO 35 Table 4-14 Estimated daily HV trips from NEJO to other areas 36 Table 4-15 Table 4-1 Estimated daily HV trips to NEJO from other areas 37 Table 4-16 Estimated daily HV trips to Queensland via the Newell Highway – non NEJO 38 Table 4-17 Estimated daily HV trips to Queensland via the New England Highway – non NEJO 38 Table 4-18 Estimated daily HV trips from Queensland via the Newell Highway – non NEJO 39 Table 4-19 Estimated daily HV trips from Queensland via the New England Highway – non NEJO 39 Table 5-1 State roads 42 Table 5-2 Regional roads 43 Table 5-3 Local roads 44 Table 5-4 Armidale Regional LGA nominated roads summary – main characteristics 46 Table 5-5 Armidale Regional LGA nominated roads – other characteristics 47 Table 5-6 Glen Innes Severn LGA nominated roads – main characteristics 48 Table 5-7 Glen Innes Severn LGA nominated road – other characteristics 48 Table 5-8 Inverell LGA nominated roads summary – main characteristics 49 Table 5-9 Inverell LGA nominated roads summary – other characteristics 50 Table 5-10 Moree Plains LGA nominated roads summary – main characteristics 51 Table 5-11 Moree Plains LGA nominated roads – matched traffic counts 51 Table 5-12 Narrabri LGA nominated roads – main characteristics 52 Table 5-13 Narrabri LGA nominated roads – other characteristics 53 80020022 | 24 November 2020 | Commercial in Confidence vii New England Road Network Strategy Final Report Table 5-14 Tenterfield LGA nominated roads – main characteristics 53 Table 5-15 Tenterfield LGA nominated roads – other characteristics 54 Table 5-16 Uralla LGA nominated roads – main characteristics 54 Table 5-17