Illawarra Mercury: Plans released for multi-million dollar interchange at Mt Ousley

[Brendan Terrett]

I've always thought the Mount Ousley Road-F6 intersection to be very strange - it's a relatively dangerous, busy intersection on an M-route, and it seems totally redundant, with the fully grade-separated Northern Distributor interchange being available, available with a detour of a couple of hundred metres which I'd imagine is a better option for motorists to use, currently. Now it looks like a new grade separated interchange is being built to replace the at-grade intersection, with dedicated truck lanes (first ones used outside of checking stations?) and a new runaway truck zone, which will hopefully prevent the annual demolitions of the Fairy Meadow Maccas.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3989300/plans-released-for-multi-million-dollar-interchange-at-mt-ousley/?cs=300

Plans released for multi-million dollar interchange at Mt Ousley

GLEN HUMPHRIES
June 24, 2016, 3:30 p.m.

Roads and Maritime Services is planning for a revamp of the Princes Motorway at the base of Mt Ousley, which will include a northern entrance to the University of Wollongong.

Roads and Maritime Services has released its preferred option for a upgraded interchange at the base of Mt Ousley.

The upgrade would replace the existing intersection of Mt Ousley Road and the M1 Princes Motorway.

A Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) spokesman said it would help eliminate the safety issues confronted by motorists.

“The existing intersection has a range of safety and efficiency issues including long delays during peak periods, a poor safety record at the right turn from Mount Ousley Road onto the Princes Motorway and merge conflicts between slow-moving heavy vehicles and fast-moving light vehicles,” the spokesman said.

A key part of the interchange is the creation of a new entrance and exit to the University of Wollongong, which would link in with the campus’ northern car park.

Offering another entry and exit point would also alleviate traffic congestion at the University Avenue off-ramp, which sees a long queue of vehicles leaving the motorway to head to either the university or Wollongong TAFE.

The interchange – estimated to cost as much as $100 million – would also remove the right-hand turn from Mt Ousley Road onto the motorway while retaining the left-hand turn.

Motorists from Mt Ousley Road looking to travel north along the motorway could still do so by using an overpass and merging onto the motorway via a roundabout near the new university entrance.

There is also a plan to relocate the existing commuter car park on Mt Ousley Road as part of the interchange.

The interchange is still in the planning stages, with $1 million allocated in this week’s state budget.

This is in addition to the $500,000 put forward in the previous budget.

RMS is calling for community feedback on the preferred option until July 18.

Feedback will be used to refine the design during the environmental assessment.

Information on the preferred option and a community survey are available at rms.nsw.gov.au/MountOusleyInterchange.

Drop-in information sessions are planned on June 30 between 5-8pm or July 2 10am-1pm at the Fairy Meadow Community Centre.

[Paul Rands]

Definitely keen on this.

Further upgrades are required on Mt Ousley though, proper acceleration and deceleration ramps for left in-out access to Mt Pleasant Rd and Clive Bissell Dr. Then it can be a proper M-grade route.

I get the feeling with the elaborate works at the top of Bulli Tops that it was never intended to turn Mt Ousley Rd into a freeway standard route, but over time, find another route down the escarpment has been too hard / expensive. 

Paul Rands

li...@paulrands.com

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[Aevion]

Maybe a realignment of Clive Bissell Drive north to Picton Road? And maybe a separate southbound onramp at New Mount Pleasant Road on the opposite side. I don't see them being able to do a full interchange due to the cliffs on the western side.

They could even just convert the current ramps into a full southbound offramp, depending on the traffic volumes for the southbound onramp.

And I really wish they'd fix up the Picton Road northbound offramp. It's a bit tight imo.