The Bucketts Way in NSW has long been recognised as a critical yet constrained regional freight corridor, particularly for agriculture and timber industries. Ranked by NRMA’s Rate Your Road survey as one of the worst roads in NSW, this route faced increasing community and industry pressure to improve heavy vehicle access — specifically the return of 26m B-Double operations between the Pacific Motorway and Gloucester.
Faced with ageing infrastructure, restrictive geometry, and significant safety concerns, MidCoast Council led the development of a comprehensive corridor upgrade strategy. This work targeted key constraints through road widening, curve realignment, and bridge strengthening, supported by substantial investment from local, state, and federal government.
Crucially, this was not just an infrastructure solution — it was a collaborative risk-management challenge.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) played an enabling role in shifting the assessment process from a prescriptive, standard-based approach to a risk-informed, performance-based framework. Leveraging technical expertise from TfNSW and the NHVR, detailed vehicle performance modelling demonstrated that — while access between Gloucester and Nabiac remained unsuitable — B-Double access between Limeburners Creek and Gloucester could offer safety improvements compared to existing vehicle types.
Council, supported by TfNSW’s technical advice and risk analysis, was able to approve conditional B-Double access — balancing safety, community expectations, and regional freight productivity.
This case study provides a replicable framework for other councils managing legacy networks under freight growth pressure. It highlights how effective partnerships between local and state government, combined with performance-based engineering solutions, can overcome complex infrastructure challenges and deliver sustainable regional outcomes.