Exactly 14 months after the first sod was turned to start preliminary work on the Jervis Bay Road flyover, the State Government is finally ready for major construction to begin.
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A swarm of state and federal politicians gathered near the intersection of Jervis Bay Road and the Princes Highway on Friday, February 16, to announce a "significant milestone" had been reached, with major construction to begin "in coming weeks".
Major works had been delayed for several months by a Federal Government review of infrastructure projects, after preliminary work was completed in June 2023.
Among the politicians taking part in the announcement were NSW Premier Chris Minns, who said the intersection upgrade "will help locals and tourists get to places like Huskisson, Vincentia and Jervis Bay faster and safer".
"The Jervis Bay and South Coast communities deserve this important upgrade and we're proud to be delivering it for them," Mr Minns said.
He paid credit to all those who had worked for "this vital upgrade, including the Vincentia Matters group. This milestone reflects all your hard work and advocacy."
State Member for the South Coast, Liza Butler, also singled out for praise the Vincentia Matters group "who actually started this grassroots campaign to get this happening".
Ms Butler said the group got help from the then Shadow Minister for Regional Roads Yasmin Cateley, "who came down to help this community start the battle, and get the petition with 20,000 signatures delivered in Parliament, to allow the debate for the funding for this road".
Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, said she backed the local community and its concerns.
"As the key gateway to beautiful Jervis Bay, local people know how dangerous and inappropriate this intersection is for the volume of traffic that passes through it," she said.
"I have fought alongside the community for years to ensure this important road receives the upgrade it deserves.
"I am absolutely delighted to see that hard work pay off with major construction of our hard-won flyover about to start - this is a relief for locals and tourists alike and I look forward to seeing it complete," Mrs Phillips said.
The $164 million intersection upgrade and flyover is being delivered as a joint project by the State and Federal Governments, with the Commonwealth providing $100 million.
Federal Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister Catherine King said to upgrade was "the second project for the Princes Highway corridor, which is a total joint investment of $2.55 billion in the South Coast".
"The Australian Government's commitment to jointly fund this upgrade with the NSW Government ensures that the South Coast region can benefit from safer roads for locals, tourists and freight industries," she said.
When complete, it will include expanding the Princes Highway to two lanes in each direction on the approaches to the intersection, longer entry and exit lanes, and free-flowing access to the highway when travelling north and south.
The project will be delivered by contractor SRG Global Civil Pty Ltd and is expected to take up to four years to complete, weather permitting, and create 110 jobs.
"This work is long overdue and with the highest volume of vehicle movements on the Princes Highway between Nowra and the Victorian border, it is vital to local people, businesses, tourists and freight operators," said NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison.
She described the upgrade as a "transformative project that will improve safety for our communities".
