AFTER almost two and a half years, the upgrade to the Newell Highway between Mungle Back Creek and Boggabilla has been completed.
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Construction on the $203.1 million project began in November 2018, and was carried out in two different stages.
The $122 million stage one phase, which was jointly funded by the state and federal governments, was finished in May 2020 as part of the National Highway Upgrade Program.
A raft of officials gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the end of works for stage two, which was fully paid for by the Commonwealth and included in the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative.
The 27km stretch has required more than half a million hours of work, with 460,000 cubic metres of dirt being moved and 3,000 metres of drainage installed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the hard work was crucial given the importance of the route.
"The Newell Highway contributes to the competitiveness of Australia's agricultural and mining sectors by opening up access to essential freight networks in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland," he said.
"Around 1300 trucks and caravans use just this section of the highway every day."
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The upgrades are designed to improve driver safety and reduce maintenance requirements.
NSW Minister for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said he was proud of the local workers who carried out the works.
"Under head contractor Fulton Hogan and community leaders, 51 Aboriginal people from the surrounding communities of Boggabilla and Toomelah were inducted to work in a variety of capacities - getting skilled, upskilled and qualified through TAFE NSW and on-the-job training," he said.
"It has been a huge success, jobs are crucial to local communities and these workers now have skills which are transferrable to other industries and highly sought after."
The project has been completed about nine months ahead of schedule, which is excellent news for the freight industry according to federal Minister for Parkes Mark Coulton.
He described the industry as the "backbone of our state" and believes the upgrades will help drivers complete their duties more safely.
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