Holiday travellers using the Newell Highway will notice three new overtaking lanes south of Moree which are now open thanks to a $261 million investment between the Australian and New South Wales governments, providing safer and more efficient road journeys.

The upgrades are a welcome improvement, with new northbound and southbound overtaking lanes south of Moree, and a new northbound lane now open at Bellata.

The works are part of the Newell Highway Heavy Duty Pavement Upgrades, which are being delivered in four sections, with remaining activities including the installation of a pedestrian refuge and turning lane, as well as switching on the remaining streetlights at Bellata, construction of north-west NSW’s largest heavy vehicle rest area north of Narrabri and improved pavement, culverts and two new overtaking lanes south of Edgeroi.

The project will also upgrade 20 kilometres of the Newell Highway between Narrabri and Moree, delivering new heavy-duty road pavement, intersection improvements and wider road shoulders with the Australian Government contributing $205.7 million to these works, as part of a $1.5 billion total investment in future-proofing the Newell Highway.