Presently there are three proposed bypasses for the South Coast. Each will cost nine arms and fourteen legs and take forever and a day to complete. But Transport for NSW presses on.
Transport for NSW (Transport) were asked by a member of the public as to how they prioritise projects, particularly bypass projects such as a bypass of Nowra, Milton Ulladulla bypass and Moruya bypass.
Their response was: "Due to the varied benefits that a bypass can provide, Transport considers a range of factors when assessing the need and priority of bypasses. These include:
the existing and planned function of the road
current impacts on amenity and alignment within town centres, and the potential project impacts, including social and environmental
proportion of heavy vehicles and proportion of through traffic
travel time benefits and impacts of traffic and the capability of any bypass to reduce these
alternatives to infrastructure solutions (such as public transport service changes or increases)
the size and terrain of the town or regional centre, and the development pattern of the town (eg. dispersed development may reduce the benefits of bypasses)
expected total project costs, particularly relative to funding availability
"Once the need for a bypass is confirmed, a range of alignments and options are assessed which includes detailed traffic modelling, which all will have different costs and benefits which are then prioritised and considered through the NSW Infrastructure Investor Assurance Framework to ensure the preferred option provides value for money, but importantly, provides the intended customer outcomes".
"A bypass of Nowra was considered as part of early investigations into the Nowra Bridge project. The investigations found that around 85% of trips across the bridge have their origin or destination within the Nowra and Bomaderry areas. Overall, the additional lanes, improved intersections and optimised traffic lights will improve capacity and reduce congestion on the highway and surrounding local roads, however a western bypass of Nowra has long been an aspiration of Shoalhaven City Council and the local community.
Transport for NSW say "Investigations undertaken for the Moruya bypass indicate that current traffic volumes on the Princes Highway within Moruya average around 8,400 per day, with around 25% of daily traffic being through traffic. Transport has utilised this information when considering potential bypass corridors. Other factors taken into account when comparing corridors include biodiversity, landforms, geology and soils, hydrology (including flooding), resilience factors, noise and vibration, current and future land use and utilities.
"The Milton Ulladulla bypass strategic investigations identified that traffic on the Princes Highway within Milton was around 15,900 vehicles per day and around 18,000 vehicles per day (rising to around 20,300 and 21,600 respectively on peak holiday days). Transport investigated a number of potential corridor options for Milton and Ulladulla. The preferred bypass corridor was found to reduce through traffic in Milton by around 55% on typical weekdays and 60% in holiday peaks".
Latest Project news:October 2022 Consultation Summary Report
Over the last two years more than 1300 submissions were received from the community on a bypass of Moruya. We thank the community for getting involved and having their say.
The community has told us they want a bypass that ensures access to the hospital, minimises impacts to flora and fauna, minimises impacts to property, and is cost-effective in delivering the best outcomes for the whole community.
We encourage you to view the full report (PDF, 9.46Mb) and explore the feedback in detail by using our new interactive dashboard.
Transport for NSW will conduct further design work for all three shortlisted corridors to better understand the opportunities and challenges that all three corridors present. The further design work will allow us to undertake a robust assessment of all three corridors against what is important to the community as well as the project’s goals and objectives including safety, resilience, liveability, connectivity and sustainability. It is anticipated this process will take six months.
