Federal government pitches in more funding for $390 million Mount Ousley interchange project

THE Federal and State Governments say they remain committed to delivering the Mount Ousley Interchange along the M1 Princes Motorway.

An additional $72 million is being delivered to the project through the 2024-25 Federal Budget, bringing the total Australian Government commitment to $312 million. The State Government is also investing $78 million towards the $390 million project.

The announcement was made earlier this week near the site of the interchange.

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King said the new and additional funding is great news for the more than 50,000 motorists who travel through the base of Mount Ousley each day.

“We are committed to ensuring delivery of this critical piece of infrastructure, which will not only improve travel times for motorists but also provide safer journeys and support growing freight movements to the south coast,” Minister King said.

When complete, the new Mount Ousley Interchange will include southbound heavy vehicle bypass lanes and safety ramps, a commuter carpark, and a shared path and vehicle overpass for improved access between Mount Ousley Road, M1 Princes Motorway and the University of Wollongong.

Federal MP for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes said the Albanese Labor Government is supporting vital commuter and freight corridors in the region, improving connectivity between the Illawarra and Greater Sydney. 

Major work is expected to start in late 2024 and the project is expected to take about four years to complete, weather permitting.

The Australian Government has also committed $5 million to undertake a final business case on improving the safety and resilience of the M1 Princes Motorway at Mount Ousley, with planning works expected to be completed by mid-2027.

An estimated five million tonnes of freight travel the M1 Princes Motorway each year, as one of the main road freight corridors to and from the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region.

NSW Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Ryan Park the new interchange is a critical piece of infrastructure for the Illawarra region – a project that will provide work and training opportunities for up to 450 people throughout construction. 

“This major improvement is one of my priorities as Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast and something I’ve advocated for our community for over a long time,” he said.

“I’m very excited by every milestone in this project that gets us closer to achieving a safer and more efficient journey for the 50,000 motorists who travel along this route each day.”

The funding is part of over $3.1 billion towards vital land transport infrastructure projects in NSW in the recent Federal Budget.

This includes over $2.5 billion to upgrade important road and rail infrastructure and supports planning for future projects. It also includes nearly $580 million to help ensure the delivery of existing projects.

The Government’s total infrastructure commitment to NSW over the next 10 years is $20.8 billion, including $17.7 billion in major road and rail projects, and $3 billion for smaller projects through programs such as the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot programs.

For more information, visit: https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/about/budget-2024-25-announcements

Free subscription to The Bulli & Clifton Times

OR DONATE BY CREDIT CARD

Don’t have PayPal? Instead, you can support The Bulli & Clifton Times by leaving a secure $2 debit or credit card donation. Your generous patronage of my work and research, however small it appears to you, will greatly help with my continuing publication costs.