Roads and Maritime Services upgraded about 14 kilometres of the highway to four lanes divided road between Barrys Creek in Kundabung and the South Kempsey Interchange.

The $230 million project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments and involves building an interchange at Kundabung Road, new intersections for local access roads, bus stops and new rest areas at Barrys Creek. The project opened to traffic during September and October 2017.