The closure, from Friday 4 September to Monday 7 September, weather permitting, will see crews construct new pavement and install road furniture at the new intersection of Mount Ousley Road and the M1 Princes Motorway.

With the major planned weekend shutdowns now coming to an end, work is continuing to forge ahead across the project, with two new bridge structures in place.

Construction has also started on another two bridges, with the first new heavy vehicle safety ramp open and work underway on the second.

Since construction started in late 2024, crews have worked more than 650,000 hours, laid more than 12,600 tonnes of asphalt, installed 10.5 kilometres of temporary barriers and landscaped around 15,000 square metres across the project site.

Earlier this month, motorists travelling in and out of Wollongong on Mount Ousley Road were moved onto the new bridge over the heavy vehicle bypass via a temporary section of Mount Ousley Road.

The temporary arrangement has allowed crews to excavate the old section of the road and continue work on the new heavy vehicle bypass, off-ramp and second heavy vehicle safety ramp, as well as start construction of the new retaining wall on Mount Ousley Road.

Work on the new heavy vehicle bypass lane will continue over the coming months. Once complete, the project will move into its next temporary traffic arrangement, with southbound traffic moving onto the heavy vehicle bypass alignment.

At the same time, crews will continue building the new southbound access road to University Avenue, carrying out work to increase the height and width of Mount Ousley Road for the new interchange and starting construction of the new shared path bridge over Mount Ousley Road.

Construction of the new bridge over the M1 Princes Motorway is also progressing off-site, with 10 precast concrete girders being manufactured in Newcastle.

Each girder is 36.95 metres long and weighs 84.5 tonnes and will be transported to the project site later this year before being lifted into place.

Construction of piling pads on the northern and southern sides of Mount Ousley Road will start later this month in preparation for piling work for the new shared path bridge.

Three piles will support the bridge abutments and pier, with boring and concrete works to be carried out on both sides of Mount Ousley Road. Bridge abutment and pier works are expected to start later this month and continue until the end of the year.

Last month, crews also completed landscaping along Dumfries Avenue, with around 1,200 square metres of native shrubs, groundcovers and grasses planted in front of the new noise wall.

The Mount Ousley Interchange is jointly funded by the Albanese ($321.6 million) and Minns ($80.4 million) Labor governments and remains on track for completion in 2028.

For more information visit: transport.nsw.gov.au/mountousley.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said:

“The Albanese Government is proud to partner with the NSW Government to deliver this key road safety upgrade, that improve safety and travel times across the Illawarra.”

NSW Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast and Member for Keira, Ryan Park said:

“This final planned weekend closure is another important milestone for the Mount Ousley Interchange, and I know the community will welcome seeing these major weekend shutdowns come to an end.

“Mount Ousley is the front door to Wollongong, and you can now clearly see the scale of the work being delivered across this important gateway.

“With the project past the halfway mark and major structures taking shape, we’re getting on with delivering the safer, more reliable connections our growing region needs.”

NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully said:

“This project is building real momentum, with work progressing across the interchange, the new heavy vehicle bypass and the connections into University Avenue.

“Over the coming weeks you’re going to see a big transformation of the site as the new bridge over the M1 is put in place, along with preparations for the shared path bridge providing an active transport link.

“This is a major investment in Wollongong’s future that will support better connections for motorists, freight and active transport users.”

NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

“More than 50,000 vehicles use Mount Ousley every day, including a significant amount of freight, so delivering this work safely while keeping people moving is a major undertaking.

“Crews have now worked more than 650,000 hours on the project, with two new bridge structures in place, the first heavy vehicle safety ramp open and work progressing right across the site.

“I want to thank motorists and the local community for their patience through the weekend closures and traffic changes as we continue delivering a safer and more efficient interchange.”

Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes said:

“It’s great to see another major milestone reached on this monumental project, with the final planned weekend closure now approaching and so much progress visible across the site

“The Albanese and Minns Labor governments are working together to deliver a safer and more reliable gateway to the Illawarra for local people, industry and visitors.

“The closures have been challenging for local people, and particularly for residents in the surrounding suburbs. I again want to thank the community for their patience and understanding while we deliver this vital upgrade.”