Bulli Pass repairs following landslips in 2022 are ongoing – but the need for regular night closures is over. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Commuters rejoice – Bulli Pass is (mostly) open at night again.
After six months of extensive work to repair three major landslip sites on the mountain, work is now complete on the steepest section of the pass from the M1 to the hairpin bend.
However, work continues at one other landslip site about 1 km below the hairpin bend.
This site is about 50 per cent complete and the single lane closure will be in place until the remaining work is carried out.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said there will be a few further night closures of Bulli Pass to resurface sections of the road pavement and add new line markings. The community will be informed of these closures in advance.
As part of a natural disaster repair program, long steel rods, called soil nails, were installed to add strength to the slope before a layer of spray-on concrete, known as shotcrete, was applied to prevent further erosion.
The project included installing 1740 linear metres of soil nails, 950 square metres of reinforced mesh and shotcrete, 370 metres of new horizontal drains drilled into the slope, 70 metres of new catch drains, 28 cubic metres of reinforced concrete beam and 80 metres of new guardrail.
Crews used long-reach excavators, elevated work platforms, concrete boom pumps and even operated in abseiling harnesses to access the landslip sites, which were up to 10 metres below the road.
The cost of the damage at the three landslip sites was $5 million and was a result of record-breaking rainfall in 2022. The repairs were funded under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart said she recognised the repairs were taking a long time.
“We all saw the devastating impact of severe weather in 2022, which saw landslips across Bulli Pass,” she said.
“I want to thank the community for their patience while this significant and complex repair work was carried out, and it’s great to see Bulli Pass reopen to 24-hour access.
“I thank the Roads Maintenance Teams for all their hard work, especially when working at night, while most of us are asleep.
“While there is still more work to be done, this is a huge milestone and means motorists can safely access Bulli Pass at night again.”
More information is available at Transport for NSW.
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