EXCLUSIVE
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Three of the Illawarra’s major road projects will be driven forward by a multimillion-dollar spend in Tuesday's state budget.
The Mercury can reveal a further $110 million will be allocated in the 2016-17 budget to continue work on the Princes Highway upgrade at Berry.
The Foxground to Berry bypass project – worth $580 million – is currently underway and, according to parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward, ahead of schedule.
This year’s cash splash is the latest in series of budget allocations for the bypass, which is tipped to open to traffic in mid-2018.
Elsewhere on the roads, $15 million will be spent during the 2016-17 financial year on planning and pre-construction work for the much-anticipated Albion Park Rail (APR) bypass.
The Baird government promised $550 million for the APR bypass prior to last year’s state election, with just $3 million allocated to the project in last year’s state budget.
The APR bypass would come in the form of a 9.8km extension of the M1 Princes Motorway between Yallah and Oak Flats. The project’s planning approval is expected this year, with work set to start in early 2019.
Meanwhile, for the first time, money will be set aside for the final piece of the Princes Highway upgrade puzzle. The 10.6km stretch from Berry to Bomaderry will get $18 million of pre-construction cash in 2016-17.
“We’re now getting these projects to a critical point,” Mr Ward said.
Mr Ward, the Liberal MP for Kiama, said this year’s budget was “one that gets on with our promises but delivers over and above” for the Illawarra. “For 16 years our region was woefully overlooked by Labor,” he said.
The state government has spent millions of dollars on a number of Princes Highway works, including the Gerringong upgrade that opened to traffic in August and a number of smaller projects along the coastal route.
Mr Ward reiterated the federal government was yet to contribute a single cent to the highway improvements.
Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian said the funding in the budget was another example of the NSW government “getting on with the job of delivering for the Illawarra”.
“Today’s [Tuesday’s] announcement demonstrates our commitment to providing the Illawarra with the infrastructure it needs to continue to grow and thrive,” Ms Berejiklian said.