Tamworth’s Sports and Entertainment Precinct is set to get new crossings, lighting, and a shared path by mid-December, as a $1.42 million road safety project heads for the finish line.
The upgrades include new wombat and pedestrian crossings, safety fencing, and street lighting. A 3m wide shared path will also be built along Longyard Drive.
Tamworth Regional Council said the work will make the area safer for pedestrians and road users, and encourage exercise through the active transport network. The project is on track to be finished by mid-December, weather permitting.
Part of the project involved the median and roundabout on Jack Smyth Drive, in front of the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC). They had to meet current design standards, so some material was removed to give motorists a clear view of pedestrians and other road users at, and approaching, the roundabout.
Council staff kept all of the Australian native grass trees. Staff transplanted 22 of them into spots that do not block sight lines.
Other material removed included mulch, which was found to be full of weed seeds, along with Lomandra and cycads that had reached the end of their life.
The Lomandra will be replaced, Kikuyu turf will be laid, and more Australian grass trees will be planted before mid-December. Councillors adopted the vegetation option at the council meeting on 11 August 2026.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Australian Government’s Road Safety Program. The program aims to reduce severe injuries and deaths on the road, with a focus on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Since 2023, both governments have committed more than $586 million to road safety works across the state under the program.
Looking ahead, the civil contractor will return in late November to complete construction works.
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