MORE than 50,000 motorists who travel through the base of Mount Ousley each day are a step closer to safer and faster journeys with the award of the major contract to Fulton Hogan to design and build a new interchange. 

The $390 million project is jointly funded, with the Australian Government committing $240 million and the NSW Government $150 million. 

The interchange is designed to improve road safety by providing northbound access from Mount Ousley Road to the motorway via an overpass and will also provide better separation of cars and heavy vehicles.   

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

State Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said  Mt Ousley Road is a key piece of infrastructure for the region.

“This major improvement is one of my priorities as Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast and I’m thrilled it’s getting underway,” he said.

“While the priority is to get the work done, we will need to balance that with the need to ensure this critical commuter and freight route remains open, and disruptions are minimised where possible.”   

Detailed design work will start early in 2024. Transport for NSW and Fulton Hogan will work together throughout early work and the detailed design process to ensure the community continues to be informed about the project. 

Early work will start in the coming months, including survey and geotechnical investigations, utility relocation and vegetation clearing.  

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

Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes 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. 

“The M1 Princes Motorway is the only road in and out of the Illawarra capable of handling the volume and size of traffic needed to support commuters coming to and from Greater Sydney and our growing local industry,”Ms Byrnes said.

“It is the economic artery that ensures products like new cars, trucks and buses from the Port make their way to the showroom floor and BlueScope’s world class steel can find its way to market.

“The Australian and NSW governments’ significant joint investment in this project show that we understand this is a busy and vital route for visitors to the region, locals, business and the freight industry.” 

Features

• heavy vehicle only bypass lanes for southbound travel, separating cars and heavy vehicles
• two new heavy vehicle safety ramps
• new commuter car park and separate incident response facility

• upgrades and widening of the existing pedestrian bridge over the motorway at Northfields Avenue
• two new intersections and bridges over the motorway for improved access between Mount Ousley Road, Princes Motorway and University of Wollongong
• improved pedestrian and cyclist connectivity on existing shared paths and a new shared path along Old Mount Ousley Road
• five metre noise walls along the northern side of the motorway and the southern side of Dumfries Avenue; and along the southern side of the motorway and northern side of Falder Place
• three and a half metre noise wall along the southern side of Mount Ousley Road, between Gowan Brae Avenue and the cul-de-sac at the western end.

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