Residents can have their say on the preferred option for the Albion Park Rail bypass next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A concept design flyover of the preferred route has been posted to the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) website.
It shows the bypass veering off the existing highway north of Yallah Road and cutting across the Illawarra Highway.
The northern end of the highway becomes a cul-de-sac, while the southern end feeds into the bypass via on and off-ramps.
It then passes over Tongarra Road, under Croom Road before running below the retained Oak Flats interchange and rejoining the highway.
‘‘The project aims to improve travel time by bypassing 16 intersections, reduce crash risk, the impact of flooding, improve freight connectivity and cater for future growth,” Kiama MP Gareth Ward said.
‘‘The bypass will provide easy access to Dapto, Albion Park and Oak Flats with two lanes in each direction and a 100km/h speed limit.’’
As part of the process of refining the route, community feedback is being sought over the next few weeks.
Several information sessions are being held where people can have their say.
They are: November 8 at Albion Park Public School (10am-2pm); November 12 at Albion Park Rail Public School (4-8pm), November 15 at Centenary Hall (9am-1pm) and November 16 at the Croom Regional Sporting Complex as part of the Camp Quality Convoy (9am-3pm).
People have until November 25 to comment on the preferred option, which will subsequently be refined.
Mr Ward said more detailed information about design features will be contained in an Environmental Impact Statement.
“The EIS is expected to be on display in late 2015, when more community feedback will be sought,” Mr Ward said.
Meanwhile, the second stage of geotechnical investigations for the bypass is under way.
Over the next three weeks RMS staff will be excavating bore holes and test pits along the proposed alignment to get a better understanding of the ground conditions.
Testing sites include west of the Yallah industrial area at Yallah hill and farmland between the Illawarra Highway and Tongarra Road.
‘‘The investigations are an important step in planning for the future extension of the M1 Princes Motorway to bypass Albion Park Rail which is being progressed as quickly as possible,’’ Mr Ward said.
‘‘Other investigations for the Environmental Impact Statement have also started including Aboriginal archaeological surveys and ecology surveys to identify threatened plant species along the route.’’