This is a bit before my time in knowing these things, and there isnt much online as a lot of the work was done without a business case to explain it, but why was the Hume duplicated from Table Top northwards instead of taking the duplication up to Wagga and then back to the Hume corridor say at Gundagai (or even going further north along the Main South corridor).  Seems like a missed opportunity to include a major city of ~60k people on the duplicated road network, instead of the small towns of Holbrook and Tarcutta.  Yes there is more distance and so longer travel time, but giving dual carriageway service to Wagga would have had its own benefits yes?

(And yes, I know this would penalise rail, but it still is a worthy question)

I think it was a tad easier following the existing route for roadworks.

and all the overnight semis running Melbourne-Sydney would be penalised, and probably continue to use the Hume all the way. You could use the same argument to divert the Hume via Canberra.

I struggle to see how you could reroute the Hume through Wagga Wagga without an absolutely massive project to get a suitable route back to the Hume on the north side that isn't circuitous or extremely hilly.

Plus, I can't see the people of Wagga tolerating a massive freeway splitting their city in two parts. They would surely demand a bypass which would take it right back to the current situation of traffic to Wagga having to leave the freeway and drive into town on a two lane road, just with them spending more time on the freeway (and more time in heavy freeway traffic) and less time on the freely flowing A highways.

This is a bit before my time in knowing these things, and there isnt much online as a lot of the work was done without a business case to explain it, but why was the Hume duplicated from Table Top northwards instead of taking the duplication up to Wagga and then back to the Hume corridor say at Gundagai (or even going further north along the Main South corridor).  Seems like a missed opportunity to include a major city of ~60k people on the duplicated road network, instead of the small towns of Holbrook and Tarcutta.  Yes there is more distance and so longer travel time, but giving dual carriageway service to Wagga would have had its own benefits yes?

(And yes, I know this would penalise rail, but it still is a worthy question)

Because it was about converting the Hume to dual carriageway, not trying to include regional towns on it.
Wagga doesn't suffer for not being on the Hume.

The Olympic Highway is a great alternative to get to Hume Freeway at Gundagai and Albury from the central west. It is a pleasant trip with very few cars and trucks. Best kept secret.