Thornton Road Network
New and upgraded traffic facilities, including roads, bridges and intersections, are all being planned to reduce pressure on existing local and state road networks.
Various major projects have been undertaken by Council, the State Government and private developers in the area to deliver as much of the infrastructure as possible in a timely manner. More work is needed and in a shorter timeframe than originally planned, due to the accelerated growth in the area.
The Thornton North Development Contributions Plan includes a schedule of road works planned to address road capacity issues in the Thornton area. A State Government Cap on the level of contributions councils are able to levy on development has left a funding shortfall causing delays to the delivery of infrastructure, particularly road works, across the urban release area.
While progress has been made in some areas, a number of additional road infrastructure works have been identified but are currently unfunded or awaiting confirmation of funding.
Council is committed to collaborating and partnering with the State Government to meet the needs and priorities for the Thornton Road Network, and to seek funding to deliver necessary roads and community infrastructure in Thornton, the neighbouring area and across Maitland.
Haussman Drive (Railway Avenue and Glenroy Street - Stage 1)
- Description: Installation of traffic lights, road widening and reconstruction, drainage construction and intersection improvements
- Status: Completed in 2021
- Cost: $5.6M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Council
Settlers Boulevard
- Description: Central median works
- Status: Completed in three stages from 2010 to 2020
- Cost: $2.1M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Billabong Parade
- Description: Fringe/perimeter road to the west to interface with flood liable land
- Status: Completed in various stages from 2015 to 2020
- Cost: $2.47M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Raymond Terrace Road/Haussman Drive intersection
- Description: Construction of central median
- Status: Completed 2020
- Cost: $154,000
- Funding source: Transport for NSW
- Delivered by: Transport for NSW
Raymond Terrace Road/McFarlanes Road
- Description: T intersection upgrade with dedicated turning lanes
- Status: Completed 2019
- Cost: $5.6M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Government Road and Thorncliffe Avenue/Darleston Avenue
- Description: Roundabout
- Status: Completed 2015
- Cost: $984,379
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Raymond Terrace Road/Harvest Boulevard
- Description: New intersection with traffic lights
- Status: Completed 2015
- Cost: $5.6M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Government Road/Hillgate Drive
- Description: Roundabout
- Status: Completed 2014
- Cost: $1.47M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Raymond Terrace Road/Settlers Boulevard
- Description: New intersection with traffic lights
- Status: Completed 2010
- Cost: $5M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Developers under Works in Kind Agreements
Raymond Terrace Road, from Millers Forest to Thornton
- Description: Safety improvements (not associated with land development in Thornton)
- Status: Progressive
- Estimated Cost: $5M
- Funding source: NSW Government
- Delivered by: Transport for NSW
Construction phase
Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road intersection
- Description: Traffic lights and intersection improvements
- Status: Construction started early 2023, completion expected mid 2024
- Estimated Cost: Approx. $26M
- Funding source: Grant funding from the NSW Government's Housing Acceleration Fund in conjunction with development contributions
- Delivered by: Council managed contract
Government Road, from Raymond Terrace Road to Somerset Drive
- Description: Progressive upgrade from Raymond Terrace Road to Somerset Drive
- Status: Under construction. To be completed in various stages.
- Estimated Cost: $3.4M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Council
McFarlanes Road
- Description: Road upgrades from Raymond Terrace Rd to Settlers Boulevard
- Status: Progressive upgrades
- Estimated Cost: $11.3M
- Funding source: Development contributions (in conjunction with a successful application for grant funding yet to be applied for)
- Delivered by: Council
Design phase
Hausmann Drive: Stage 2 (Raymond Terrace Road to Taylor Avenue)
- Description: Road duplication, installation of traffic lights at intersection of Raymond Terrace Road and Haussman Drive, roundabout at Haussman Drive and Taylor Avenue, construction of a shared path along Haussman Drive
- Status: Design currently underway
- Estimated Cost: $14M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Council (and by contract)
Haussman Drive: Stage 3 (Taylor Avenue to Government Road)
- Description: Road duplication and construction of a shared path along Haussman Drive
- Status: Design to be completed 2022/23
- Estimated Cost: $8.2M
- Funding source: Development contributions
- Delivered by: Council
Raymond Terrace Road, from Government Road to McFarlanes Road
- Description: Safety improvements (not associated with land development in Thornton)
- Status: Design completed, construction timeline to be confirmed
- Estimated Cost: $1.8M
- Funding source: NSW Government
- Delivered by: Transport for NSW
Thornton Road/Glenwood Drive
- Description: Road upgrades from Railway Avenue to Glenwood Dr, intersection improvements at Huntingdale Dr, installation of traffic lights at Glenwood Dr and Thornton Rd
- Status: Design commenced in 2021/22, business case development occurring in 2022/23, construction construction anticipated to start 2024/25
- Estimated Cost: $22.1M
- Funding source: Development contributions (in conjunction with a successful application for grant funding yet to be applied for)
- Delivered by: Council in stages
Raymond Terrace Road - Settlers Boulevard to Government Road
- Description: Road upgrades along Raymond Terrace Rd
- Status: TBC, pending Transport for NSW and/or development contributions/grant funding
- Estimated Cost: $14.3M
- Funding source: TBC (Transport for NSW and/or development contributions/grant funding)
- Delivered by: Council
Railway Avenue Bridge
- Description: Bridge duplication
- Status: TBC
- Estimated Cost: $26M
- Funding source: NSW Government
- Delivered by and responsibility of NSW Government
The overall funds required for the future Thornton Road Network improvements is currently estimated to be $155M (as at March 2023)
The Thornton Road Network is being funded through an assortment of state and federal grants, Council’s Capital Works Program and the Thornton North Development Contributions Plan. In 2023 dollar terms, $155M worth of works was identified in the development contributions plan. Funds collected from this plan will be used to deliver part of the overall works, with the remainder to come from grant funding and Council’s Capital Works Program. However, due to a State Government Cap imposed on the level of contributions Council can levy, there will be a shortfall on the anticipated $128.1M to undertake the works.
Council is engaged in ongoing discussions with the State Government in an attempt to secure the gap in funding required to complete the full range of road works through grant programs such as the Housing Acceleration Fund, the Special Infrastructure Contributions Program (State Government) and the State Voluntary Planning Agreements program.
Section 7.11 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 enables councils to levy development contributions as a condition of development consent. The contributions are used to assist with funding local public infrastructure and facilities required as a consequence of development. You can view the Thornton North Development Contributions Plan here.
The shortfall in funding of the Contributions Plan has resulted in the need to explore grant opportunities to deliver the works. Recent grants applied for include:
- 2023 - Hausmann Drive Stage 2 and 3, for construction through the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund Round 3. Both applications ($10.5M for Stage 2 and $20.8M for Stage 3) unsuccessful.
- 2022 - Thornton Road and Glenwood Drive, for preparation of a concept design and a business case.
- 2021 - Raymond Terrace Road, for the continuation of Government Road intersection design and construction up to McFarlanes Road ($1M) (Funding to be provided by Transport for NSW)
- 2020 - Raymond Terrace Road upgrade requested to be included in State Voluntary Planning Agreements Funding Program (SVPA).
- 2020 - Thornton Rail overpass upgrade requested to be included in draft SVPA.
- 2018 - Thornton Road and Glenwood Drive Intersection ($8.68M) (Application not successful)
- 2017 - Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road Housing Acceleration Fund application($9.5M). $1.4M was part awarded for Intersection Design and Business Case (January 2019).
- 2017 - Thornton Road, Rail Overpass, Glenwood Drive Intersection and Huntingdale Intersection ($51M) (Application not successful)
For some projects, Council has not yet submitted a grant application because there has been no suitable grant funding stream opened for which these projects would qualify.
To find out more information about projects delivered by Council, contact our Customer Experience Team on 4934 9700.
- Raymond Terrace Road/McFarlanes Road: T intersection upgraded with dedicated turning lanes
- Raymond Terrace Road/Harvest Boulevard: traffic lights installed
- Government Road and Thornclife Avenue/Darleston Avenue: roundabout installed
- Raymond Terrace Road/Settlers Boulevard: traffic lights installed
- Government Road/Hillgate Drive: roundabout installed
- Settlers Boulevard: central median installed and road improvements
- Billabong Parade: fringe/permieter road installed
- Haussman Drive - Stage 1: intersection at Glenroy Street upgraded
- Raymond Terrace Road/Haussman Drive intersection: central median installed
- Raymond Terrace Road – Millers Forest to Thornton: general road improvements
Construction phase
- Government Road: progressive road upgrades
- McFarlanes Road: progressive road upgrades
- Raymond Terrace Road/Government Road intersection: lane duplication, traffic lights, turning lanes
Design phase
- Haussman Drive upgrades, Stage 2: lane duplication to and roundabout at Taylor Avenue
- Haussman Drive upgrades, Stage 3: upgrades to intersection at Raymond Terrace Road
- Raymond Terrace Road, from Government Road to McFarlanes Road: progressive road upgrades
- Thornton Road/Glenwood Drive: intersection upgrades, currently developing business case
- Raymond Terrace Road, Settlers Boulevard to Government Road: progressive road upgrades
- Railway Avenue Bridge: bridge duplication, two lanes each way