Dunheved Road Upgrade

Details: Written by: Teela Griffin; Published: 09 September 2021; Last Updated: 14 June 2024

Journeys along Dunheved Road will be safer, more efficient and reliable in the future with the Australian Government committing $128 million through the Infrastructure Investment Program towards an important upgrade of the road.

A map of the Trinity Drive intersection

A map of the Richmond Road intersection

A map of the Tasman Street Intersection

A map of the Tasman Street roundabout

Safer, more efficient and more reliable travel is on the horizon for the thousands of motorists who use Dunheved Road each day, with the highly anticipated Dunheved Road Upgrade progressing.

The upgrade will see the heavily congested 4-kilometre corridor between Richmond Road and the Werrington Road/Christie Street roundabout upgraded from a two-lane undivided road to a median separated, four-lane carriageway.

Intersections along the road will also be upgraded to address congestion issues and improve traffic flow during peak periods, and active transport links will also be delivered to support pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction is expected to start in early 2025. Dunheved Road will remain open throughout construction with work to occur in stages to minimise the disruption for the community.

Latest News

The Dunheved Road upgrade is a step closer, and safer, more reliable and efficient travel is on the horizon for users of Dunheved Road, with Penrith City Council now inviting tenders for the design and construction of the project.

The Australian Government is funding the upgrade, which runs between Richmond Road and the Christie Street/Werrington Road roundabout, to improve safety and traffic flow for the thousands of motorists who use the road daily.

Key features of the upgrade include:

Changing the current two-lane undivided road to a median-separated, dual-lane carriageway.
Improving intersections, including delivering three new sets of traffic lights.
Building new active transport links, including a shared pathway and footpath to support pedestrians and cyclists.

Tenders are invited until 24 July 2024 via Vendor Panel. Construction is expected to start in early 2025.

The Dunheved Road Upgrade will overhaul the heavily congested 4.2-kilometre corridor between Richmond Road and the Christie Street/Werrington Road roundabout.

The upgrade aims to address current issues experienced by regular road users by making journeys more reliable during peak periods while also future-proofing an integral part of Penrith’s road network to cater for growing traffic demands.

Key Features:

Richmond Road intersection and Werrington Road/ Christie Street roundabout.	A new median separated four-lane carriageway and shared user path along the 4.2-kilometre corridor between Richmond Road and Werrington Road/Christie Street roundabout. A footpath is also included on the northern side of Dunheved Road.
Richmond Road intersection	Upgraded signalised intersection with dual left turn lanes into Richmond Road.
Trinity Drive intersection	Upgraded intersection with left in/left out at Trinity Drive. Right turn lane into Trinity Drive added for westbound motorists, to assist motorists travelling between the suburbs of Cambridge Gardens and Cambridge Park.
Tasman Street intersection	New signalised intersection with right turn in/left out at Tasman Street. New signalised pedestrian crossings. New single-lane roundabout at Tasman Street and Eton Road intersection.
Greenbank Drive (west)	Upgraded signalised intersection at Greenbank Drive (west).
Greenbank Drive (east) and Francis Street	Upgraded signalised intersection at Greenbank Drive (east) with dual right turn lanes from Francis Street.
Werrington County Shopping Village	Upgraded driveway entrances into the Werrington County Shopping Village.
Lavin Crescent	New signalised intersection at Lavin Crescent.
Henry Lawson Avenue	Upgraded signalised intersection at Henry Lawson Avenue. A new single-lane roundabout at Madigan Drive will assist residential access back towards Lockyer Avenue.
John Oxley Avenue	John Oxley Avenue and Dunheved Road intersection is now a priority intersection with westbound left in/left out and eastbound right turn into John Oxley Avenue. Right turn out of John Oxley Avenue will not be permitted, with motorists advised to use Francis Street or the intersection of Werrington Road and Parkes Avenue.
John Batman Avenue	New signalised intersection at John Batman Avenue. New single-lane roundabout to Ovens Drive at John Batman Avenue.
Werrington Creek	New two-lane eastbound bridge across Werrington Creek and new shared path bridge. Upgrade of the existing Werrington Creek bridge into two-lane westbound bridge.
Werrington Road and Christie Street	New four lane carriageway integration into existing roundabout at Werrington Road/Christie Street.

Penrith is undergoing significant growth, with more people choosing to live, work and study in Penrith. This growth puts additional pressure on the local road network and increases the need for better transport infrastructure to accommodate current and future residents.

Dunheved Road is a busy route between Richmond Road at the western end and the Werrington Road/Christie Street roundabout at the eastern end. Stretching 4.2km, it includes many intersections which link into local suburbs, shops and services. Already an essential link for nearby residents and businesses, this road will connect to Penrith’s growth centres, including St Marys and the new Western Sydney International Airport.

Council identified the need for improvements to Dunheved Road more than a decade ago due to the increasing traffic volumes and gridlock experienced by the community at various points along the road. Extensive traffic modelling, surveys and studies have assessed the current two-lane model as unsustainable for future traffic volumes.

In 2020/21, Federal Member Lindsay Melissa McIntosh secured a $128 million commitment from the Australian Government’s Urban Congestion Fund (now Infrastructure Investment Program) to upgrade Dunheved Road.

Infrastructure Investment Program

The Australian Government invests in major land transport infrastructure across Australia through its Infrastructure Investment Program. Across the program, the Government has committed to upgrading key freight routes in the regions, reducing traffic congestion in cities, developing high-speed rail, improving road safety, and empowering local councils to support projects that matter to local communities.

The community played an essential role in the planning and design of the upgrade. Residents, businesses, nearby schools and road users were consulted during the public exhibition of the concept design (2021) and the Review of Environmental Factors (2022). Thousands of contributions were received via an online survey, emails, phone calls and in-person meetings.

Key changes from concept to final design

Right turn lane into Trinity Drive added for Westbound motorists to assist motorists travelling between the suburbs of Cambridge Gardens and Cambridge Park.
The intersection of John Oxley Avenue and Dunheved Road is now a priority intersection with westbound left in/left out and eastbound right turn into John Oxley Drive.
The previously proposed traffic signals at John Oxley Avenue, close to other signals (at John Batman Avenue), could not be supported for technical reasons.
Right turn out of John Oxley will not be permitted, with motorists advised to use Francis Street or the intersection of Werrington Road and Parkes Avenue.
The Review of Environmental Factors includes a future noise modelling assessment recommending noise treatments to eligible properties.
The proposed treatments include 2.4m noise walls behind the rear of eligible properties backing onto the road corridor.
The remaining eligible properties shall be offered at-property treatments with further individual consultation and implementation during construction.

To learn more about the consultation for this project, including viewing the REF, please visit yoursaypenrith.com.au/dunhevedroadupgrade.