Frequently Asked Questions

The Wongawilli Access Project is one of a number of key transport improvements that Council is undertaking as part of our West Dapto Access Strategy. The strategy is our long-term to-do list to create the roads and paths needed for people to safely and enjoyably drive, walk, cycle and commute through West Dapto. It will roll out over the coming decades keeping pace with the area’s growth and development. The recently opened Karrara Bridge at the Fowlers Road to Fairwater Drive Link in Dapto was a major milestone in this strategy.

The project is designed to be trafficable for a 1 in 100 year flood event. Council has completed extensive flood modelling and community engagement to inform its flood mitigation designs. The plan includes the installation of stormwater drainage and other works that will redirect water away from the road. Later stages of work include flood mitigation on West Dapto Road.

• Wongawilli Road is being widened to four lanes from the Wongawilli mine to Shone Avenue. This will provide two travel lanes and two parking lanes.
• Part of the Council nature strip, on the southern side of Wongawilli Road will be used to expand the road corridor.  
• A number of trees on the verge have been removed. Tree planting and other landscaping will be carried out after construction is finished.
• Kerb and guttering will be installed on both sides of the road.
• A shared pedestrian and cycle path will be constructed on the northern side of Wongawilli Road and street lighting will be upgraded. 
• Blisters will be installed along both sides of the road to calm traffic and provide structured parking.
• Some power poles have been relocated and the power lines crossing the road have been raised. 
• Stormwater drainage will be installed and other services will be relocated.
• Stormwater structures called culverts will be built under the road near the Shone Avenue intersection to reduce flooding through this section of the road. 
• A flood mitigation swale will be built to the west of the Wongawilli Community Hall to redirect the natural flow of water into a nearby creek to the north. It will be shallow, grass lined and unobtrusive, with appropriate drainage. 
• The slope of the road near the mine entrance will be changed to redirect water flow into the swale and then into the nearby creek to the north.

The following program is a guide and subject to weather and site conditions. We’ll seek to accelerate works by adding another works crew during stages where it is practical to do so. 

Wongawilli Road - Improvement Works:

September 2020: Preliminary levelling works of the road and public verge from Shone Avenue to Smiths Lane:

• Localised use of topsoil and turf.
• Interim road works to ensure safe parking, road use and road drainage.

October 2020 – February 2021: Road widening works from Smiths Lane to Jersey Farm Road:

• South side stormwater, kerb and gutter, driveways with temporary road construction.
• North side stormwater, kerb and gutter and full width road stabilisation.
• North side footpath, including retaining walls and localised batters. 

February – June 2021: Road widening works from the creek crossing (near Shone Avenue) to Smith’s Lane:

• South side stormwater, kerb and gutter, driveways with temporary road construction.
• North side stormwater, kerb and gutter and full width road stabilisation.
• North side footpath, including retaining walls and localised batters.

• Monday to Friday: 7.00am to 5.00pm
• Saturday: 7.00am to 3.00pm
• Sunday and Public Holidays: As required
• Some work may be required outside these hours and we'll let you know beforehand

We've encountered several challenges which have impacted the delivery of  the project. These include complex service relocations, redesigns and upgrades with Sydney Water, NBN and Telstra. 

The installation of the large stormwater pipes as part of the design, required the relocation of the water main. Sydney Water later determined this was an opportunity to upgrade the water main to suit development in the area. The design of the new water main and the approvals process by Sydney Water took six months. The delay with the water main also impacted the relocation of other services such as NBN and Telstra which could not be started until the mains were relocated.

Additionally, the power lines crossing Wongawilli Road needed to be raised to allow large construction machinery to operate safely along the road.  We worked with residents to resolve the type and location of the new power poles that have recently been installed. 

We recognise the inconvenience these delays are causing the Wongawilli community and are working hard to move the project forward. We’ll seek to accelerate works by adding another works crew during stages where it is practical to do so.

The community has told us how important it is for Wongawilli Road to have its street trees replaced to help restore the village feel. With the help of Wongawilli Road residents we updated our original landscape design. We offered residents a range of street tree choices and identified the best locations to maximise plantings. We’ll also be planting additional street trees, including on the south side of Wongawilli Road, west of Jersey Farm Road in response to community feedback.

Street trees will be planted at the end of civil works. This is to protect the trees and ensure the space is no longer required for the storage of materials or machinery. 

While our landscape design has been enhanced to include additional trees on the road reserve in response to community feedback, planting will occur when civil works are complete. This is to protect the trees and ensure the space is no longer required for the storage of materials or machinery. 

The intersection upgrade at Wongawilli Road / Shone Avenue / West Dapto Road will start after Stage 1 works are completed and when approvals are finalised. We’ll provide more information to the community at that time.

Temporary traffic control measures are in place to allow the works to progress safely, managing access to properties and work zones. We’ll be using traffic controllers, detours, signage and temporary light systems to guide motorists and pedestrians through the area.

Our traffic control plans are designed to safely manage traffic and access for the whole of Wongawilli throughout construction. The methods we use to achieve this vary depending on the work task and location of work zones.

Methods include:

• Maintaining existing road pavement sections while we construct the new road
• Detouring traffic around work zones, using old and new road pavements to enable two-way traffic flow wherever possible
• Implementing one-way traffic flow under traffic lights when unavoidable
• Reducing speed limits during the works
• Communicating directly with affected properties to manage access
• Scheduling works on weekends or at night to reduce impacts
• Procuring Traffic Control Services and Plans
• Keeping our community informed of expected changes ahead of works via on-site electronic signage and this webpage

The school bus needs to be detoured to align with the traffic control underway at Wongawilli Road between Smiths Lane and Jersey Farm Road during the next stage of works. Temporary school bus zones and stops at the entrance/exits of Smiths Lane and Jersey Farm Road will operate on school days from 8.00-9.30AM and 2.30-4.00PM. See map of school bus detour and stops.

Funding for Stage 1 of this project has come from:

• Developer contributions under the West Dapto, (Section 94) Development Contributions Plan 
• Federal Government Grant for Building Better Regional Cities 
• State Government NSW Restart Resources for Regions program

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For further information take a look at the documents and important links on this web page or:

• Email: engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au

• Call: (02) 4227 7111