New $60m investment to deliver major safety upgrades to Princes Highway

The New South Wales Government is investing $60 million to deliver vital safety and congestion-busting upgrades on the Princes Highway, as part of its commitment to building better connected communities while prioritising the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians. 

The first phase of the Princes Highway – Corridor safety and efficiency upgrade program will see $10.4 million invested this year to carry out works between Sussex Inlet Road and Moruya. 

The works will commence next month and will include 5.4 kilometres of flexible safety barriers between Conjola Creek and Lake Conjola Entrance Road, and wider centrelines near Conjola to better separate opposing traffic lanes, reducing the risk of head-on collisions. 

Works to install an additional southbound lane and concrete median on a 750-metre section of the highway at Batemans Bay are due to begin later this year to improve traffic efficiency while also reducing congestion during peak periods. 

“Any life lost on our roads is a tragedy. 

“The South Coast is a beautiful place, whether someone lives here or are just visiting for the night, we want to ensure when someone gets in their car, they know they are safe on our state’s roads. 

“We ask drivers to take every precaution they can on our roads, it’s important as a government we also do everything we can. 

“Today’s announcement is one part of that work,” Premier Chris Minns said. 

“I’m pleased to see that the Minns Labor Government has committed $60 million to improve road safety along the Princes Highway. 

“The upgrades pave the way for a safer journey for those who want to enjoy our beautiful south coast,” Member for the South Coast Liza Butler MP said. 

From 2019 to 2023, the 110-kilometre stretch of highway between Moruya and Sussex Inlet saw 276 crashes. The proposed safety upgrades will aim to decrease the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a crash. 

In addition, shoulder widening and road resurfacing will be completed on the Princes Highway near Mago and Bimbimbie, which will be carried out in conjunction with major works that are progressing on the Princes Highway upgrade projects – including the Jervis Bay intersection upgrade, Jervis Bay to Hawken Road upgrade and the Milton Ulladulla Bypass. 

Planning is currently underway for future upgrades at Batemans Bay, Moruya, Bodalla, Narooma, Bega, and Eden. The upgrades will include signs, coloured pavement and line marking to encourage safer driving speeds for motorists entering towns by reinforcing a changing speed zone. 

“As the Minister for Roads, road safety is my top priority. We know that the road toll in NSW is far too high, and that two thirds of deaths on our roads happen on country roads. These important safety upgrades are crucial in helping us move towards zero road fatalities on our roads. 

“The Princes Highway is most important road connection through the South Coast, linking communities from Sydney to the Victorian border. I am pleased that we have been able to provide a further $60 million towards improvements to the route. 

“This project will deliver road safety improvements for the local community and improved connections for locals, tourists and freight operators up and down the south coast,” Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said. 

“Our community has seen far too many fatalities on local roads over the past few weeks. Any death on our roads is one too many. These are important safety upgrades that will ensure a safer trip for Princes Highway users. 

“The previous Government completely neglected communities along the South Coast, it’s great to see the Minns Labor Government is making real investments to keep road users safe,” Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland MP said. 

Princes Highway upgrade projects map (source: Transport for NSW)

These improvements are part of the State Government’s ongoing work to reduce the New South Wales road toll and deliver essential infrastructure communities rely on. This has included: 

• Investing over $200 million into the Towards Zero safer road program 

• Turning on the existing mobile phone camera detection network to detect seatbelt infringement 

• Removing a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six months 

• Implementing the demerit return trial that rewarded more than 1 million drivers for maintaining a demerit-offence-free driving record during the second year of the trial 

• Doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with the addition of 2,700 new locations where a camera can be deployed. Enforcement hours will remain the same 

• Signing the National Road Safety Data Agreement with the Commonwealth 

• Hosting the state’s first Road Safety Forum in 2024 with international experts and a Motorcycle Safety Roundtable in April this year 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Transport for NSW (1, 2, 3); Infrastructure Magazine