For years, the intersection at the base of Bulli Pass was a problem.
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Traffic on the Princes Highway looking to turn right into Thirroul had the hair-raising job of turning across a lane of cars travelling downhill - often at speeds assisted by gravity.
As for those turning right out of Lawrence Hargrave Drive, waiting for a break in the traffic took forever.
The intersection would often get congested, especially on weekends when daytrippers came south.
Ten years ago this week - on July 27 - that problem was solved with the opening of the Bulli overpass.
It was a project that the government had been talking about since 2006 but the extension of the-then Northern Distributor was in front of it in the queue.
Once that was completed, early work on the $31 million project began at the start of 2009 and what was then known as the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) looked to mid-2011 for a completion date.
The final design didn't please everyone as it would still see Lawrence Hargrave Drive traffic turning right across cars coming down the pass.
"The danger is still there," said Thirroul resident Steve Turner said.
"I've seen collisions with cars turning onto the pass, they misjudge the speed of cars coming down the hill."
But the RTA pointed out right-turn traffic would have a dedicated northbound lane as part of the upgrade.
By late 2009, the serious business of bridge construction had started, with concrete spans placed in the earth just west of the intersection.
There was some short-term pain in 2010; as part of construction right-turns out of Lawrence Hargrave Drive were banned for more than three months.
Northern suburbs motorists wanting to travel north had to head south along the highway and do a U-turn somewhere, or take the one-lane Lawrence Hargrave Drive route.
By the middle of the year those motorists could turn right, because the bridge was finished.
"This intersection has long been dangerous and congested and now this overpass will make commuter's lives easier," said then Minister for the Illawarra Paul McLeay.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
