New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements - Stage 2

Transport for NSW is preparing the concept design and environmental assessment for New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements - Stage 2 project for public display in 2024.

Our investigation work is continuing and we will carry out inspection and coring work of Richmond Bridge on the Hawkesbury River.

During the visual inspection we will also carry out non-destructive testing of the bridge and checking the bridge structure for reinforcement, identifying defects in the concrete and assessing overall structural conditions.

The inspection will be along the entire length of the bridge. Our work will also involve concrete coring with a drill to extract three cores underneath the bridge.

Following the coring process, the holes will be filled with suitable materials to maintain structural integrity of the bridge. These concrete cores will then be laboratory tested to assess the composition and health of the bridge materials.

Our activities for the bridge investigation work will start from Monday 5 February 2024 and continue until Friday 16 February 2024, weather permitting.

View the January 2024 notification (PDF, 1.32 MB).

Transport for NSW is continuing investigation work in the Richmond and North Richmond areas to inform design of Stage 2 of the New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements project.

Since February 2023, we have been on site collecting traffic data and conducting ground surveys and geotechnical work. 

Investigation work will continue over the next few months until Friday 29 September 2023. Our activities include drilling holes and digging pits to test soil and pavement composition. As part of this work, we will also use a barge with a drill rig on the Hawkesbury River.  Additionally, we will be using small tipper trucks, a truck mounted drilling rig, small excavators, survey vehicles, handheld concrete saw cutter, traffic control vehicles and signage to carry out this work.

View notification here (PDF, 464.29 KB)

The bridge between Richmond and North Richmond provides a vital crossing of the Hawkesbury River, and carries an average of 31,000 vehicles per day with a single lane in each direction.

In 2013, Transport for NSW prepared the Richmond Bridge and approaches congestion study: Preferred short-term and long-term options report. The study identified the need for additional bridge capacity and three intersection upgrades to improve travel times and journey time reliability and provide for future growth. So far we have:

• upgraded the intersection of Kurrajong Road and Old Kurrajong Road
• upgraded the intersection of Bells Line of Road and Grose Vale Road
• made significant progress on the upgrade of the intersection of March Street and Bosworth Street.

What are we trying to achieve?

The key objective of this project is to reduce congestion between Richmond and North Richmond and build for future growth. We also aim to improve:

• journey time reliability
• connectivity between Bells Line of Road and the main road network
• flood resilience
• amenity and support economic development in the town centres of Richmond and North Richmond
• safety along the road corridor between Richmond and North Richmond
• public and active transport connections.

The project has been divided into two stages to deliver early safety benefits to the community. Stage 1 includes upgrades to The Driftway between Londonderry and Blacktown Road. The remainder of the project will be delivered in Stage 2.

We are progressing with the detailed design for Stage 1. Early work including utility relocations has started in preparation for construction.

We are preparing the concept design and environmental assessment for Stage 2 which will be displayed for feedback.

• New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements Stage 2 – Southee Road FAQs (PDF, 944.09 KB)
• New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements Stage 2 - FAQ's
• Richmond Bridge Duplication FAQs

• December 2022 community update
  New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements Stage 2 community update.

• November 2021 community update
  New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements Preferred option consultation update.

• August 2021 information sheet
  New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements.

• June 2021 community update
  Preferred option for an additional bridge over the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond.

• November 2019 community update
  Richmond Bridge duplication and traffic improvements route investigation.

• January 2024 project notification (PDF, 1.32 MB)
  Richmond Bridge investigation night work
• June 2023 project notification
  Continuing investigation work in Richmond and North Richmond
• February 2023 project notification (PDF, 409.86 KB) 
  Investigation work in Richmond and North Richmond.

• January 2021 project notification
  Day and night investigation work on Londonderry Road, Richmond from 1 February.

• March 2019 project notification
  Richmond Bridge duplication and traffic improvements investigations continuing.

• December 2018 project notification
  Richmond Bridge duplication and traffic improvements investigations underway.

• Revised Preferred Option map 2022
• Revised Preferred Option Report 2022 (PDF, 4.15 MB)
• Preferred Option report - June 2021

• Investigations for the New Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements - Minor works review of environmental factors January 2023 (PDF, 6.32 MB)