Traffic lights will be added to the Oak Flats interchange as part of the revised design of the Albion Park Rail bypass.
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Also, motorists could see the start of demolition work for the bypass at the northern end before Christmas.
Adding signalisation to the Oak Flats interchange – colloquially known as the octopus – is one of a number of changes introduced in the detailed design phase of the project.
The lights on the interchange will operate in a similar fashion to the roundabout at the Princes Highway and Illawarra Highway intersection.
While there will be lights at each entry point of the interchange, they will only operate when one leg has heavy traffic flow.
At other times the interchange will operate as it does now.
Other changes include grade separation for the cycleway, removing the Yallah Road overbridge and instead build the bypass over the ground-level road.
“We’ll also be making a number of traffic changes that will help the traffic flow," Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said, “such as along the east-west link where, in response to approaches we’ve had from a number of businesses, we’re going to be installing traffic lights to manage the flow of traffic in that area.”
He said the changes to the bypass plan had not led to an increase on project costs.
Mr Ward said he was hoping “in the next few weeks” to see construction company Fulton Hogan start demolition just west of the Princes Highway-Illawarra Highway roundabout.
Major construction is scheduled to start early next year and is expected to have minimal impact on road traffic.
“The great thing about this project is that it’s largely a greenfield project,” Mr Ward said.
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The revised plan does not include the Yallah interchange, meaning Dapto residents will still travel south along the Princes Highway.
Mr Ward estimated the traffic on that road will drop by around 65 per cent.
“As part of this we’re also going to be looking at an integrated strategy as to how to deliver the best possible outcome for people at that northern end,” he said.
“People from the Dapto area will be able to access [Albion Park Rail] the same way they do right now, but with a vastly reduced traffic volume along the Princes Highway.”
The revised plans are on display for feedback until December 7.
There will be drop-in sessions at Albion Park Shopping Village, November 29, 3-8pm and Stockland Shellharbour, December 6, 6-9pm.