Cr Saliba opened the 1.5-kilometre stretch of the new Harbour Boulevard on Monday morning.

Harbour Boulevard will be completed in three stages and will eventually connect the Shellharbour-Wattle roads intersection to Bass Point.

It will run 2.3 kilometres through the centre of Shell Cove and ensure convenient access to the marina and retail precinct.

The next stage of construction will commence in mid-2017 and link to the Shellharbour/Wattle Roads intersection.

The final stage will connect to Bass Point along the ocean and is scheduled for completion in 2018.

Cr Saliba said the new road was “absolutely vital to the completion of Shell Cove harbour and waterfront”.

“It’s another milestone in the project – it demonstrates that it is moving ahead and that we will have Shell Cove town centre and harbourfront ready before you know it.”

With Shellharbour council still fighting the government’s planned merger with Wollongong City Council, Cr Saliba said the opening of the road and other ongoing work at Shell Cove showed everything hadn't been put on hold.

“It is good news but I think it’s also bittersweet in a sense because our community is expecting a return from this project and to have taken all the risks to get to this point and then to not know if the future belongs to the people of Shellharbour or not, that’s really disappointing,” she said.

“But it’s great that we have continued as a council to be full steam ahead, to continue with our future planning and with the works that we have in plan for years.

“The threat of the impending merger hanging over our heads has not deterred us at all from doing the right thing for our community.”

Glenn Colquhoun, Development Director – Shell Cove, Frasers Property Australia, said the road was good news.

“This key arterial road will soon connect residents and visitors to the world-class marina and future shopping heart of Shell Cove,” Mr Colquhoun said.