Bus tours held last week for staff and campus partners of two new roads and roundabouts that have been built on campus were sold out – giving more than 200 passengers a front seat to what they can expect when they open.
The new roads that open Thursday 10 October will improve traffic flow within the hospital campus and will eventually connect visitors to the new public car park in the acute services building that is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Staff and visitors driving to the Hunter Medical Research Institute will use the new roads when they open and Gumtree Close will be permanently closed to vehicles. Pedestrian and cyclist access will remain unchanged.
All drivers using the new roundabout outside Pathology will be directed along Kookaburra Circuit at the rear of the hospital to exit the campus.
New signage will be in place to guide drivers. You can find out more about the changes here.
Stay across the varied changes and timelines of the development via our interactive map.
Work has been underway for some months inside Wards G1, H2 and H3 to prepare for the three bridges that will link the existing hospital to the new building.
Outside, a hoarding has now been erected (see the image above) spanning from G1 across Kookaburra Circuit. This will allow vehicles to progress underneath while supporting the works above.
Once the new building opens in 2026, this link bridge will used primarily by facilities management staff.
But wait there’s more! Link bridges from H2 and H3 will start to appear later this year.
The photo below shows where scaffolding is in place now.
The hospital’s current main entry will connect to the H2 link bridge and allow the public to enter the new building. The H3 bridge will be mainly used by clinical staff.
There may be some overnight disruption to traffic when these hoardings are installed but the aim is to ensure traffic flows as usual throughout the day.
As the building continues to reach new heights, work on the inside to fit out the new medical spaces is also well underway. One significant feature throughout, will be large floor to ceiling windows that will bring in the natural light. They will also allow for views over the surrounding bushland – and in some areas – to the ocean. The windows featured in the image above are part of the new Acute Medical Unit on Ground Level.
The project team is now working to develop art in the new maternity suites that will improve the experience of birthing mothers.
The team is using research by Prof Maralyn Foureur that says the built environment can have a significant impact on a person’s neurophysiology during childbirth and that spaces can be designed specifically to facilitate a calm birth experience.
Nurses, midwives and members of the community were asked to provide their feedback on the types of proposed artwork that will feature in 13 rooms that will have baths.
The proposed options included wallpaper art, landscape photography, painting and digital illustration with photography emerging as the preferred choice.
The team will now work on identifying an artist who can best produce the photography chosen.
Visit our project website to find out more about the strategy for integrating art into the precinct.
We’re always happy to hear from you so if you have a question or would like to know more about something, email us at: HI-JHHIP@health.nsw.gov.au