DRIVERS on Tomago Road are set for a safety boost, with more than $9.2 million announced for upgrades along the busy Port Stephens Road.
The funding will target key sections of Tomago Road with curve improvements, shoulder widening, clearer line-marking and new safety barriers among the planned works.
The announcement follows crash figures that underline why road safety remains a serious concern along this road.
A Port Stephens Council traffic assessment, which used Transport for NSW crash data, recorded 24 crashes on Tomago Road between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023.
Of those crashes, two were fatal and three resulted in serious injuries.
Both fatal crashes occurred on the section of Tomago Road between Westrac Drive and Nelson Bay Road.
For locals who use the road regularly, including those travelling to Newcastle Airport or the Tomago industrial area, it is a familiar and heavily used route.
It is also a key link for freight travelling through the region.
Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said the road connected residents, workers, freight operators and visitors with Newcastle Airport, the Tomago industrial precinct and the wider Hunter region.
“Tomago Road is one of Port Stephens’ most important transport corridors,” Ms Washington said.
“It carries significant traffic every day, so investing in its safety makes good sense.”
The $9.2 million forms part of the NSW Government’s Towards Zero Safer Roads Program, which is providing $230 million for 83 safety projects across the state.
The program focuses on high-risk locations, with works ranging from safety barriers and shoulder widening to improved intersections, rumble strips and pedestrian crossings.
Ms Washington said the Tomago Road upgrades would deliver practical improvements aimed at reducing the risk of serious crashes.
“These upgrades are about reducing crashes and making one of our busiest corridors safer for everyone who uses it,” she said.
The wider 2026-27 NSW Budget includes a $2.8 billion commitment to road safety over four years, with 62 per cent of road safety funding in 2026-27 going to regional areas.
Transport for NSW is expected to release further details on the timing and delivery of the Tomago Road works as planning progresses.
By Althea GUINSBERG
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