Scott Morrison was still a fresh-faced prime minister when the first steps were taken in the marathon, $50 million Mitchell Highway safety works between Bathurst and Orange.
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Gladys Berejiklian was NSW Premier, the first COVID restrictions in Australia were about a year away, the Sydney Roosters were reigning NRL premiers and Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary was an up-and-coming youngster rather than a calloused veteran.
The Mitchell Highway works have now been causing frustration for commuters between Bathurst and Orange for close to five years. In total, from April 1 five years ago to now, the beginning of February, 2024 we've had almost 1770 straight days of roadwork on the main road connecting the Central West's two biggest centres.
Beginning in April 2019 with work at the Oaky Creek Lane intersection at Vittoria, the highway upgrades have since moved through Guyong, Vittoria East and East Guyong (with some urgent repair work due to heavy La Nina rain thrown in for good measure).
The work has included widening the highway, installing safety barriers and putting in turnaround bays for B-doubles.
Work at the 1.7-kilometre Vittoria Curve section is ongoing, while Vittoria West (from near the Beekeepers Inn to 1.8 kilometres west of the inn) will be next.
Transport for NSW says the work at Vittoria West will include a dedicated right-hand turn lane at Gardiners Road, which meets the Mitchell Highway near the Beekeepers Inn, as well as installing rumble strips and safety barriers.
Transport for NSW regional director west Alistair Lunn addressed the frustration of the long-running roadworks before Christmas for the opening of the widened Great Western Highway from Kelso to Raglan.
"We understand that roadworks really impact the travelling public," he said.
"And we understand as well - I mean, I live in Forbes - that Orange to Bathurst is a key commuter route.
"And for those people doing it regularly, it is hard.
"But ... we had a huge road safety issue with that section of road, particularly with off-road and head-on crashes, so we are looking at putting more and more wire rope in.
"And the federal and state governments are really committed to reducing the road toll and doing that work does come at a price, unfortunately for the travelling motorist, but when it's done, it will be a safer corridor.
"So we thank them for their patience."
Saving lives
Lucknow Rural Fire Service brigade captain Mick Bloomfield gave a first-hand account of how new safety barriers installed between Bathurst and Orange have made a difference.
Mr Bloomfield said his brigade had been to six incidents in the past two years where "the cars have been sitting on those road barriers", as opposed to ending up in the wrong lane.
"They [the road barriers] are definitely saving head-on crashes, there's no doubt in the world about that," he said.
