Upper Hunter farmers have received an early Christmas present with the long-awaited reopening of a vital freight route, finally ending a five-year saga of costly detours and a botched multi-million dollar construction project.
A Costly Closure for Primary Producers
Dubbed the "road to nowhere," Coulsons Creek Road, which connects the Golden Highway and New England Highway between Merriwa and Willow Tree, has been impassable since 2021. The closure forced primary producers and local businesses to take lengthy detours, adding up to three hours and hundreds of dollars to each trip to transport livestock to sale yards in Tamworth or conduct other essential business.
The road was quietly reopened to traffic on Monday, December 22, 2025, just before Christmas. Upper Hunter Shire Councillor Peter McGill marked the milestone by cutting a red ribbon at the start of the new stretch, with a more formal opening ceremony planned for early 2026.
From Botched Build to $48M Rectification
The current reopening concludes a protracted and expensive drama that began with a council-led upgrade. The Upper Hunter Shire Council undertook the initial construction work itself, starting with a price tag of just under $10 million. However, the project was plagued with failures from the outset.
A geotechnical report, which the council initially fought to keep secret, revealed significant construction flaws. It found "significant deviations from the design," including poor alignment and the use of poorly compacted fill material placed without proper moisture conditioning. Rain damage quickly led to dangerous tension cracks, a major landslide, and the road's complete failure.
A five-tonne load limit was imposed in March 2020, and by January 2021, the road was deemed unsafe for all traffic, with large sections washing away entirely.
To fix the council's failed attempt, the state and federal governments committed a combined $48.3 million for rectification works. This was on top of the initial $12.2 million spent on the flawed upgrade, bringing the total cost of the project to over $60 million.
Community Relief and Cautious Optimism
Local councillors and farmers have welcomed the reopening with a mix of relief and caution. Following an onsite inspection, Councillor Troy Stolz described the new section as "a magnificent piece of road" that should stand the test of time.
The council has acknowledged that some defects remain in the older sections of the road leading up to the new works. In a statement, they noted having invested $700,000 in recent months to address these issues, with work expected to continue for several months. Drivers are urged to exercise caution while travelling on the route.
"We hope you enjoy the restored connectivity this vital route provides," the council's statement said, thanking the community for its patience during the protracted project. For Upper Hunter's farming community, the reopening of Coulsons Creek Road is more than just infrastructure news—it's a restoration of economic lifeline just in time for the new year.
