Motorists are being urged to plan ahead as the first wind turbine blades bound for the Uungula Wind Farm begin moving through the Hunter region from today, Monday 10 August.
The 80-metre-long blades will travel via a 400-kilometre route from the Port of Newcastle to the wind farm development near Wellington in the Central West Orana. The route runs through Industrial Drive, the Pacific Highway, New England Highway, John Renshaw Drive, Hunter Expressway, New England Highway again, and the Golden Highway to Saxa Road east of Elong Elong, before continuing via Saxa Road, Mitchell Highway, Goolma Road and Twelve Mile Road.
While components have been transported to the Uungula site since April, this marks the first delivery of the turbine blades themselves. Multiple oversize, over-mass vehicle movements will leave the Port of Newcastle each week, though the number may vary. The blade components are scheduled to depart at night to limit impacts around the Newcastle precinct.
Transport for NSW says motorists should expect longer travel times as the slow-moving vehicles navigate turns and intersections along the route, with short delays also possible at roadwork sites. Drivers are urged to slow down and exercise caution when approaching or passing the oversized loads.
The agency says it will continue monitoring the network’s performance during the movements for safety, planning and efficiency purposes, and has thanked motorists for their patience.
