Drivers will soon have a smoother and safer experience cruising along a section of Thunderbolts way east of Uralla, once the road has been upgraded.
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Uralla Shire Council Mayor Robert Bell was at the site with NSW deputy premier Paul Toole and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall on Wednesday, to accept $4 million in state funding from the Fixing Country Roads state budget.
The three sections of tarmac, totalling about nine kilometres, will be widened from six to eight metres and given a complete overhaul to strengthen the underlying foundations.
The sections of road are located about 21 km east of Uralla.
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Mr Bell said they would be hiring workers to "rip up the road" to test the base and see whether it needed imported materials or any type of cement stabilisation.
"It's a huge boost to us because we've been patching potholes and doing short sections of the roads so this will allow us to do major areas that need upgrading," Mr Bell said.
Construction is expected to begin before the start of the 2023 financial year and is slated for completion within a 12-month timeframe.
A managed traffic plan will be in place during the construction phase to minimise disruption to vehicles traveling along the route.
Mr Marshall said of all the nearly 60,000 kilometres of roads within the Northern Tablelands electorate, that section of road is where he receives the most complaints from people.
"It's a terrible road," Mr Marshall said.
"It's been heavily impacted by the weather last year and the council has been using the money they've been getting for the potholes to do work on the road.
"So, rather than just patching it, they will actually be able to rebuild it, make it stronger and wider and that'll save the council a lot of money in the long run."
The trio was also at the site to inspect the recently completed Tolleys Bridge and newly-aligned Thunderbolts Way road approaches, funded with a previous $1 million state government grant.
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