AUD 12 Million Highway Rest Area Upgrade Project in Australia Completed

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 9, the Australian Federal Government and the New South Wales State Government confirmed that the upgrade of the northbound and southbound truck rest areas at Tycannah on the Newell Highway in New South Wales has been completed, with a total investment of AUD 12 million. The project is located approximately 17 kilometers south of Moree, and the two rest areas can accommodate a total of 30 heavy vehicles. New parking facilities, flush toilets, and dedicated caravan parking areas have been added, and the entry and exit access roads have been reconstructed.

The project is jointly funded by the Australian Federal Government and the New South Wales State Government, with the Federal Government contributing AUD 9.6 million and the State Government contributing AUD 2.4 million. The federal funding comes from the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area component under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. The Federal Infrastructure Investment Project List separately lists the northbound and southbound rest areas as AUD 6 million upgrade projects, with each receiving AUD 4.8 million in federal funding.

The original Tycannah rest areas lacked toilets and vehicle turning lanes. This project reconfigured the layout of both parking areas, increased parking spaces for long combination heavy vehicles, and established separate parking areas for light vehicles and caravans. The southbound rest area added 5 parking spaces and is equipped with male and female accessible toilet facilities. A deceleration lane has been added at the vehicle entrance to improve conditions for heavy trucks leaving the main road to enter the rest area.

Shade structures, garbage bins, and other supporting service facilities have also been added to both the northbound and southbound rest areas, and the internal traffic organization has been adjusted to separate heavy truck parking areas from small vehicle activity areas. Construction commenced in October 2025, and the design incorporated feedback from the freight industry regarding parking space for extra-long vehicles, vehicle entry and exit safety, and the preservation of existing mature vegetation.

Federal government project documentation states that the northbound rest area mainly involved parking lot expansion, vehicle deceleration entrances, and the separation of light and heavy vehicle areas; the southbound rest area, in addition to adding heavy vehicle parking spaces, also included the construction of independent toilet facilities and vehicle entry and exit access roads. The upgrade of both rest areas is being implemented by Transport for New South Wales.

This project is part of the New South Wales Regional Heavy Vehicle Rest Facility Upgrade Program. The AUD 1 million upgrade of the northbound and southbound rest areas at Ravensworth on the Strzelecki Highway, advanced under the same batch, has also been completed, and there is another AUD 2.4 million upgrade project at the Kyeamba Gap East rest area on the Hume Highway. The construction content of both projects covers toilets, lighting, accessible facilities, and heavy vehicle parking supporting infrastructure.