The Jervis Bay Interchange Flyover project has been delayed amid Shoalhaven City Council vote to halt land acquisition

The Jervis Bay Road Interchange project will no longer be started this year.

The project would create an overpass or 'flyover', upgrading and making safer the current situation where commuters must turn off into often busy highway traffic.

The project delay comes after Shoalhaven City Council voted against selling the land needed for construction to Transport NSW, stating they needed more information first.

With the commencement of the flyover delayed, it is now unknown when construction of the upgrade will begin.

The Shoalhaven community group Vincentia Matters has led a campaign for four years to find a solution to the dangerous intersection.

Group secretary Liz Tooley expressed her disappointment with the delay during an interview on WIN news.

"Everything appeared to be going along very smoothly," Mrs Tooley said. "The message is simple, please, please do not delay this vital piece of infrastructure which will save lives."

Shoalhaven City Mayor, Amanda Findley said the delay is temporary and the construction of the project would still go ahead.

"I want to make it clear that Shoalhaven City councillors support the Jervis Bay interchange," Mrs Findley said.

"The reason why the land acquisition was temporarily put on hold was to enable councillors to be briefed by Transport NSW on the use of the land."

With a history of crashes, the road is known by both community members and travelers for becoming clogged with long lines of traffic and being a dangerous section of road.

$125 million was the price tag for the project to make the strip of highway safer.

State Member for Kiama Gareth Ward who fought to secure the funding voiced his frustration and anger at the decision and the council.

"One of the reasons I stood for Parliament was to fix the Princes Highway," Mr Ward said.

"Labor and the Greens have betrayed locals by playing deadly politics with road safety."

Mr Ward said his commitment timeline can no longer be met due to the decision.

"Councillors were told that refusing to accept the offer from the NSW Government would risk a minimum six month delay to the project," he said.

"You've (Councillors who voted against the sale) succeeded in holding up a project that can prevent accident, injury and loss of life."

Mrs Findley responded to the claims made by Mr Ward, stating his time would be better used assisting the Shoalhaven City Council.

"The member for Kiama has been blaming council for holding up this NSW Government project," she said.

"That is not true and the member for Kiama would be better off trying to find ways to assist council which is now experiencing its ninth natural disaster in three years."

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Vincentia Matters made it clear the people in the community are the ones who will suffer from this decision.

Shoalhaven community members have complained on social media, stating this issue should not be about politics and the flyover built by now.

"It is a death trap and it needs to be dealt with," one community member said.

"It is vital as our traffic expands, it puts lives at risk."

"Why has Meroo Road, Strongs Road and others north of Nowra all got overpasses, yet the busiest intersection of the lot, Jervis Bay Road is still going through council rubbish," another said.

"Just get the thing built!"

In 2020, a petition calling for the flyover attracted more than 14,000 signatures and was delivered to New South Wales Parliament.

Since then, planning had commenced for the project, with the initial completion date being sometime in 2022.

However, with the recent delay, the completion date is now unknown.

Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips recognised the dangers of the road and the importance of having the flyover project completed as soon as possible.

"The Jervis Bay Flyover is a crucial local project that I argued strongly to bring forward Federal Government funding over many years," Mrs Phillips said.

"I want to see Shoalhaven City Council and the NSW Government working together to urgently get on with this much-needed project to help save lives.

"Our community has waited long enough already."