Federal Princes Motorway upgrade brings improved safety to the Illawarra escarpment

The Princes Motorway between Waterfall and Bulli Tops — one of the most challenging and historically dangerous road corridors in New South Wales — will receive a $180 million federal investment to dual the carriageway and install significant safety improvements on a route that connects the Illawarra to Sydney and carries both commuter and heavy freight traffic through a geologically complex escarpment section.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Princes Motorway had been on the national road safety radar for years as a corridor with above-average casualty rates, constrained geometry, and insufficient capacity for the volume of freight and commuter traffic using it. The last major upgrade of the escarpment section was completed in 2006, and the route's safety and capacity profile had not kept pace with growth in the Illawarra's population and freight task.

The project will duplicate the southbound carriageway over the most constrained section of the escarpment, providing a safe lane for slower-moving heavy vehicles ascending the grade and separating opposing traffic flows that currently share carriageway space in several sections. Rock fall mitigation works, improved lighting, and emergency turnouts are included in the project scope.

Wollongong City Council and the Illawarra Business Chamber had both submitted to multiple federal road funding consultations identifying the motorway as the region's highest priority road investment. Chamber chief executive Chris Lamont said the announcement was "overdue but welcome," noting that freight delays and safety incidents on the Princes Motorway had added meaningful cost to Illawarra businesses' transport budgets for over a decade.

Construction is expected to commence in 2026, with the full upgrade completing by 2029.

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