Almost two years to the day the first sod was turned, work on the road into Mt Kembla was officially finished.
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The $11 million project – funded by Wollongong City Council, NSW Government and South 32 – saw the first sod turned on June 13, 2014.
The work includes replacing two bridges, realigning and resurfacing Cordeaux Road, creating 1.1km of shared pathway and building two retaining walls.
In opening the works, Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery apologised to Mt Kembla residents who had to wait for the roadworks to finish on the main road in and out of the suburb.
“I do apologise - at times it must have been frustrating, especially with those traffic lights and the wait and the dust and the challenges,” Cr Bradbery said.
“But you must realise this was in a very constrained area and the engineering aspects were challenging.”
The NSW government funding came from the Resources for Regions program, which helps mining-affected areas.
Parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said the project has already made a real difference to the locals’ lives.
“Just talking to residents of Mt Kembla, the cycleway has allowed more active recreation, allowed them to get out and enjoy the community without having to take their lives into their hands as they walk along the side of the road,” Mr Ward said.