{"id":36153,"date":"2026-06-22T09:45:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T09:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/36153\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T09:45:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T09:45:20","slug":"aussie-drivers-hit-with-another-speed-limit-change-on-major-regional-highway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/36153\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie drivers hit with another speed limit change on major regional highway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another major highway will see its speed limit reduced<\/a> as road authorities attempt to overhaul regional roads across the state.<\/a><\/p>\n

Transport for NSW announced a change to an eight-kilometre section of the Great Western Highway, which travels through the Blue Mountains in the state’s west.<\/p>\n

Currently, the speed limit between Faulconbridge and Linden is 80km\/h, except for an eastbound section that is limited to 60km\/h for trucks and buses.<\/p>\n

The speed limit will be reduced<\/a> to 70km\/h from next month, “for the safety of all road users” travelling through the area, authorities said.<\/p>\n

The speed limit change<\/a> is part of a major overhaul of NSW regional roads.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the decision to\u00a0lower the speed limit\u00a0<\/a>on the\u00a0Mitchell Highway between Dubbo and Wellington<\/a>\u00a0was met with fierce backlash from angry locals who say slower speeds is not the answer.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story about speed limits? Contact carly.bass@yahooinc.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

The announced change is in response to community concern regarding the number of road crashes on this stretch of the Great Western Highway running through the NSW Blue Mountains.<\/p>\n

(Google Maps)<\/p>\n

The announced change between Faulconbridge and Linden is in response to community concern regarding the number of road crashes in the area.<\/p>\n

The Great Western Highway is a key regional route linking Sydney with the state’s Central West. It passes through a number of small towns and villages in the Blue Mountains<\/p>\n

Lower speed limits introduced to address road toll<\/p>\n

Transport for NSW said the stretch of road between Faulconbridge and Linden experienced a high number of crashes, particularly in wet conditions.<\/p>\n

“The new speed limit to come into effect on this 8.1-kilometre stretch will better match the access density, crash history and risk profile of this section of the Great Western Highway,” Transport for NSW Executive Director Damien Pfeiffer said.<\/p>\n

Community members also raised concerns about the lack of a highway shoulder for cyclists, sight distances, and intersection queueing, Pfeiffer confirmed.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

“All factors were considered, along with the regular changes in road environment as motorists travel along the highway and the need to strike a balance between safety and efficient travel times through the mountains,” he said.<\/p>\n

The changes will be in effect by July 23, with the installation of new signage, and line-marking to start this week.<\/p>\n

Why there is debate over regional speed limit changes<\/p>\n

Debate over rural road speed limits gathered momentum last year<\/a> with road safety advocates and some local government groups pushing for lower default limits on regional roads not built to modern safety standards.<\/p>\n

The discussion has sparked fierce backlash from some motorists and regional communities,<\/a> with critics arguing reduced limits would increase travel times and unfairly target rural drivers.<\/p>\n

\"Speed<\/p>\n

Speed signs along a stretch of Hazelwood Road near Churchill, about a 2-hour drive east of Melbourne, have been sawn off or painted over in protest of reduced speed limits.<\/p>\n

(ABC\/Google maps)<\/p>\n

In Churchill, Victoria, several road signs were deliberately vandalised<\/a> in what police believe is an act of protest against reduced speed limits<\/a> on country roads.<\/p>\n

In NSW, residents in the Dubbo region also oppose speed limit reductions.<\/a><\/p>\n

Many say that addressing road conditions should be a priority, including fixing the poor condition of some regional roads.<\/p>\n

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