Willow Tree to Merriwa road: Upper Hunter Shire Council applying for loan to fix damaged Coulsons Creek Road

A jointly-funded $12.2 million makeover of Coulsons Creek Road was completed only seven months ago, connecting the New England Highway to the Golden Highway.

But damage to a section in the Upper Hunter Shire Council (UHSC) area has caused a five-tonne load limit to be introduced and a 3.6-kilometre strip to be reduced to one lane.

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UHSC announced it will apply for a loan of up to $5 million to fix the Merriwa to Willow Tree route and also to help with an upgrade of Bunnan Road, which connects Merriwa to Scone.

UHSC general manager Steve McDonald said the loan would ensure Coulsons Creek Road would be open to vehicles weighing more than five tonnes as soon as possible.

Council's budget allocation for the project was fully expended on the original works.

UHSC confirmed a geotechnical consultant had been engaged to create a report in June this year on the work needed to fix the road.

"Heavy rain in January 2020 further severely compromised the road's integrity ... it is important that the B-double route between Merriwa and Willow Tree is opened as soon as possible," Mr McDonald said.

It's a blow to trucks frequenting the area because Coulson's Creek Road removes the need for traffic to travel via Scone, cutting about 44 kilometres off the journey.

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Normal traffic can still use the connecting road but are being warned by UHSC to expect delays.

The original works included realignment and sealing the entire length of Coulsons Creek Road, and the project was carried out by Liverpool Plains Shire Council and UHSC, with state and federal government funding.

The works are part of a project to better connect the western part of the Upper Hunter to the main thoroughfare at the New England Highway.

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