An important part of the redevelopment is the upgrades and modifications to roads around the precinct. Some existing roads will be altered, and some new roads will be built to connect the precinct to the Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass.
Lookout Road is one of the busiest roads in Newcastle with up to 60,000 vehicles using it each day. This can cause some delays for drivers entering and exiting the hospital – especially during peak periods. Future modelling shows that traffic on Lookout Road would be almost halved once the Rankin Park to Jesmond section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass is complete. An online interactive portal is now available here. The portal features an interactive map showing the project design, before and after images, animation videos, work activities and much more.
The new acute services building features a dedicated entry for the emergency department for ambulances and other emergency vehicles. There will also be short term parking for patients (or their families) seeking care.
The redevelopment will also deliver an expanded main entrance through the existing hospital with a new canopy and improved drop-off zones along Kookaburra Circuit that lead directly into the refurbished entry.