Bulli Pass will close again between August and November, more than four months later than it was originally scheduled.
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The NSW Roads and Maritime Services has announced work will start on the second Bulli Pass closure on August 28 to complete the installation of rock fall protection fencing.
The road will stay closed until November 3, the RMS said.
However, the pass will open for the October long weekend.
The closure in 2016, from October to early December, created havoc for many Illawarra commuters, especially when a number of serious truck crashes during the Bulli Pass work shut down Mount Ousley Road.
“The completion of this work ensures Bulli Pass can continue to function as an important link for the Illawarra,” an RMS spokesperson said.
“Around 500 metres of safety fencing remains to be installed for this work which is a long term safety investment for the region.”
Originally, the second closure was expected to take place from late April until June.
In its announcement, the RMS did not explain why the closure had been pushed back however, the spokesperson said it organisation “remains conscious of providing the community and businesses with as much notice as possible of the dates for the second closure”.
“Closing the road to complete this work is the safest option,” they said.
“Opening the Pass regularly for peak hours and weekends would more than double the time to complete the work due to lost time packing up and setting up and ensuring the road is safe to be reopened.
“Roads and Maritime, with NSW Police and Emergency Services will be monitoring all detour routes during this closure.
“Tow trucks and other resources will be on standby to clear any incidents on the detour routes as quickly as possible.
“The Pass was reopened three times during the last closure to keep traffic flowing and minimise the impact of major incidents on the network.
“Roads and Maritime will work closely with contractors to reopen the Pass as quickly as possible during any major incidents on the M1 Princes Motorway.”
Feedback will be invited from the community for the next four weeks until Friday 21 April to identify any issues including access arrangements and activities which may result in the Pass being temporarily reopened during work.
Final details of the closure will be confirmed well in advance of the start of work.