The Albion Park Rail bypass will open in stages, not all at once.
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And at this stage it's unclear whether the first stage will be open in time for the Easter holiday rush through Albion Park Rail.
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Small sections of the bypass have been opening to traffic on a temporary basis since May last year, when the first of 13 bridges in the project was unveiled.
The bridge into Albion Park will become the southbound off-ramp into the suburb when the bypass is completed mid-year.
The next stage to open will be a section between Yallah and Albion Park.
This section of the motorway will initially open in a temporary arrangement only, providing access to and from Albion Park as work continues on the motorway at the southern end of the project.
When this section opens, the stretch of the Illawarra Highway along the bypass will be permanently closed to traffic.
A cul-de-sac will be built near Croome Lane and access to nearby residents and businesses will be maintained.
Traffic lights on the Oak Flats interchange - revealed by the Mercury in 2018 - are still on the cards and will be installed mid-year.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward explained the reasoning behind opening the long-awaited bypass in stages.
"Opening the project in stages allows for work to be completed in areas that motorists are currently using and allows continued progress towards an early completion date," Mr Ward said.
The Kiama MP said there would still be a ceremony to mark the entire bypass being opened to traffic.
"While these staged openings provide a great opportunity for community to enjoy parts of the new bypass, I can assure the community that we are planning an official opening to commemorate the completion of the project and the massive change it will bring to our region," Mr Ward said.
- See more of the bypass at the Mercury website.
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