The first three stages of the F6 extension could be completed as early as 2025, according to a recently released report.
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The Illawarra Business Chamber-NRMA report also recommends other measures be put in place if the government remains firm in its decision not to construct the final Loftus to Waterfall stage.
Last year the Roads Minister Melinda government announced plans to start work on the first stage of the extension - a four-kilometre twin tunnel linking the WestConnex New M5 junction at Arncliffe to President Avenue in Kogarah.
At the same time it quietly shelved plans for the fourth stage, which would connect it to Waterfall, because the route could require bulldozing homes or cutting through the Royal National Park.
The report, titled Upgrading Road Connectivity between the Illawarra and Greater Sydney, states that the second and third stages could be built at the same time and be finished by 2025 – if the government were to consider the F6 extension a priority project.
The report does suggest the main beneficiaries of the upgrade will be those travelling between destinations in Sydney but added Wollongong residents would still benefit from the first three stages of the extension.
“For those people travelling between Wollongong and the Sydney CBD, the full benefit of travel time savings will be realised once stages two and three are completed,” the report said.
“In the morning peak period, travel time savings are estimated to be 27 minutes.”
Off-peak time savings were predicted to be much smaller, in the order of 12-17 minutes.
The report acknowledged the difficulties with constructing stage four.
However it said “short-term measures should be considered to relieve congestion including targeted intersection treatments at Heathcote Road, the Princes Highway at Engadine and Farrell Avenue and Rawson Avenue near Loftus”.