Inspecting progress on the Mt Ousley Interchange, including the completion of its first heavy vehicle safety ramp … Keira MP Ryan Park, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison and Wollongong MP Paul Scully. Photo: Jenny Aitchison MP/Facebook.
Construction of the Mt Ousley Interchange has reached a major milestone, with the opening of the first heavy vehicle safety ramp at the base of the mountain.
The new safety ramp, which opened in the early hours of Friday 2 April, provides a safe area for trucks and buses to stop if they experience engine problems or brake failure while descending Mt Ousley.
NSW and Federal government ministers have welcomed the opening of the safety ramp, a key component and the first major work to be completed on the $405 million project.
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the interchange was a complex project on one of the Illawarra’s most important road corridors.
“With the first heavy vehicle safety ramp now open, we’re putting in place a safer option for truck and bus drivers coming down Mt Ousley,” she said.
“If something goes wrong on that descent, drivers need somewhere safe to go. That’s exactly what this ramp provides.
“More than 50,000 vehicles use this route every day, including a lot of freight, so safety has to come first.”
The ramp features concrete barriers and a gravel base for the vehicles to sink into, causing them to slow and stop.
At 220 m long and 5 m wide, it has been designed for a B-double truck up to 26 m. An access road has also been constructed for maintenance of the ramp and vehicle recovery.
Meanwhile, 16 precast concrete girders, each 15 m long, now form the structure that will connect Mt Ousley Road over the heavy vehicle bypass.
A further 20 girders, ranging from 17 to 25 m, will make up the new shared path over the southbound access road.
In an effort to inspire the next generation of civil engineers and construction workers, more than 40 engineering and STEM students from the University of Wollongong and Keira High School recently visited the site to watch the girders being lifted into place.
The next stage of work on the bridges will include deck formwork and building of the bridge deck, shared path, approach slabs and concrete parapets.
Wollongong MP and NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said the project, which was on track for completion in 2028, was building real momentum.
“You can now clearly see the scale of what’s being delivered for Wollongong and the wider Illawarra,” he said.
“The new interchange will improve connectivity for motorists, freight and active transport users, while making this key gateway safer and more efficient.”
Recent night closures of the M1 Motorway allowed extensive work to be carried out, including pavement construction connecting the new safety ramp to the M1 Princes Motorway and construction of new sign gantries to indicate the location of the ramp.
This October 2025 photo of the Mt Ousley Interchange shows the new heavy vehicle safety ramp under construction to the left of the existing safety ramp. Photo: Transport for NSW.
Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said the interchange was a “significant investment in the Illawarra” and would improve safety and reliability on one of the region’s busiest highways.
“With key bridge structures now in place and the first heavy vehicle safety ramp now open to traffic, welcome progress on the project is now visible for all to see,” she said.
Work on-site will continue in April, with shutdowns during the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends.
Activities will include:
- Removing and installing guardrail
- Installing drainage along the motorway
- Excavating material, earthworks and ground stabilisation on Mt Ousley Road for future road bridges over the motorway
- Removing part of the existing median island on Mt Ousley Road
- Continuing work on the second heavy vehicle safety ramp
- Work on the noise wall next to Dumfries Avenue as well as landscape preparation work.
Motorists are reminded that during work, traffic control, changed traffic conditions, lane and road closures and reduced speed limits will be in place.
Visit Transport for NSW for the latest community newsletter and to learn more about the project.
