The first stage of the Cleveland Road upgrade is complete, but there’s still more work to do. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
A key stretch of road in the region’s largest growing area will provide better connection and cater for more cars, with the first stage of the Cleveland Road upgrade in West Dapto complete.
A section of Fowlers Road between Fairwater Drive and Cleveland Road now has double the capacity for vehicles, having been widened from two to four lanes, with a new shared path, stormwater drainage and street lighting improving the usability and accessibility of the area.
“The completion of upgrade works to Fowlers Road marks another significant milestone in delivering the essential infrastructure the West Dapto community needs and deserves,” Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said.
“As this area continues to grow, it’s vital we invest in safer, more efficient roads and better connections for families, commuters and local businesses.
“These upgrades, including additional lanes, improved stormwater drainage, street lighting and a new shared path, will make a real difference to daily life for residents.”
Creating efficient road and pedestrian infrastructure is an essential priority in Wollongong City Council’s West Dapto Access Strategy, to ensure the region can accommodate for the more than 50,000 residents expected to make the rapidly growing area home over the next 50 years.
The project will be completed in three stages. Image: Wollongong City Council.
“We know that action on housing is a high-priority issue for our community and demand is only increasing in a rapidly growing area at West Dapto,” Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.
“In meeting this demand, we can’t focus purely on housing. We need to ensure essential road and traffic infrastructure is carefully planned and considered to link new community to town centres and, obviously to major highways.”
The project is jointly funded by council and a more than $20 million boost from the NSW Government, with works on this stage which began in March last year initially only expected to take nine months.
The next two stages will cover the approximately 2.5 kilometres of Cleveland Road west of Fowlers Road, including widening 820 metres from two to four travel lanes and the remainder of the stretch widened to two travel lanes with kerbside parking on both sides.
Future work will also include road regrading, more shared paths, and intersection upgrades including the installation of traffic lights at Fowlers and Cleveland roads.
“This is the sort of infrastructure that people expect to support new homes but over the last decade has been sadly lacking,” NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said.
“The Minns Government is investing an average of $80 million a day to build the infrastructure needed to support housing and jobs growth, including the upgrades to Cleveland Road which will support additional housing growth.”
Work is also continuing on West Dapto Road which has had sections temporarily closed since last July and is on track to reopen to traffic in mid-2026.
For more information on projects in West Dapto, visit the Wollongong City Council website.
