Fifty new trees have been planted along the eastern entrance to Bathurst, marking the completion of the first landscaping stage in the Great Western Highway upgrade between Kelso and Raglan.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said motorists driving from Raglan to Kelso will be greeted with a new avenue of trees along the soon-to-be widened and upgraded highway.
“Motorists coming into Bathurst from Lithgow will be welcomed by a variety of trees consisting mostly of Pin Oaks that grows up to 20 metres in height,” Mr Toole said.
“They were specifically grown for this project and Transport for NSW liaised extensively with local greening experts, historic groups and Bathurst Council to select climate appropriate tree species.
“These oaks are considered to be very hardy once established and they have been placed in distinct arrangements along the avenue to ensure we preserve and beautify the iconic tree-lined avenue as a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said these new trees will provide a significant refresh and facelift for the eastern entry point into the city.
“This project marks the first landscaping stage in the upgrade of the Great Western Highway between Kelso and Raglan,” Mr Farraway said.
“The NSW Government continue to invest in upgrades to our regional road network to deliver a safer and more efficient network for regional NSW for years to come, securing a brighter future for NSW.”
A variety of trees were chosen with climate resilience in mind - mostly Pin Oaks (quercus palustris), along with Red Oaks (quercus rubra) and Cimmaron Ash (fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘cimmzam’), to replace the previous Lombardy Poplars.
The plantings along the northern side of the highway have been planted in such a way as to improve road safety and reduce the chance of traffic disruption due to fallen tree limbs.
More tree planting will occur in 2023 on the southern and northern side of the highway once the highway upgrade has been completed.
Crews are currently working on stormwater relocation and continuing earthwork along the highway.
For more information on the project visit: https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/great-western-highway/kelso-to-raglan/index.html
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