NSW Transport Minister John Graham and Shellharbour MP Anna Watson in December 2024 at the potential Fowlers Road link to the M1. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Fowlers Road at Dapto has been selected as the preferred location for long-awaited southern entry and exit ramps to the M1 Princes Motorway.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) said on Thursday (2 April) it would no longer consider the alternative option of Kanahooka Road.
“We assessed traffic and transport outcomes, community amenity, environmental and sustainability impacts and cost across potential ramp locations at Kanahooka Road and Fowlers Road,” TfNSW said.
“Kanahooka Road locations will not be progressed as Fowlers Road better aligned with the project objectives, offering increased accessibility while avoiding impact to mapped coastal wetlands.”
There is currently no southbound entry onto the M1 Motorway between Northcliffe Drive at Berkeley and the Princes Highway at Oak Flats.
Motorists from the Dapto area wanting to travel south on the motorway either have to use the Princes Highway through Albion Park, or drive north to Northcliffe Drive to turn around before heading south.
Last year TfNSW consulted with the community about preferred locations for the ramps. The results showed 63 per cent of respondents put Fowlers Road at the top of their list. Kanahooka Road was close behind with 58 per cent support.
TfNSW said Fowlers Road offered reduced travel times and improved connectivity to the M1 Princes Motorway and reduced traffic on local roads.
It also offered more options to access the local road network and the motorway during disruptions.
Planning for the ramps is jointly funded by the Federal and NSW governments, committing a total of $30 million.
However, there is currently no funding for construction of the ramps.
“The project is being considered alongside other priority projects across the state,” TfNSW said.
“In the coming months, we will release a Preferred Option Report, which will outline the assessments that led to selecting this location and present the initial design.
“We will begin environmental studies, including on‑the‑ground field investigations, and continue to engage with the community as planning progresses.”
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson has previously said the southbound ramps would improve accessibility across the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region, which was expected to grow by about 100,000 people by 2041.
“That growth will increase the total population to more than half a million and deliver new demands on the transport network. Almost half of that growth is expected in the West Dapto area,” she said.
