And the need to drive through Berry will disappear just in time for the Christmas holidays.

While motorists have been driving on the five-kilometre stretch of the Princes Highway upgrade from Toolijooa Road to Austral Park Road since Friday, Kiama MP Gareth Ward formally opened it on Tuesday.

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“The old section of the Princes Highway includes the Foxground bends, which could not be upgraded to meet today’s design, safety and traffic efficiency standards,” Mr Ward said.

“These bends have now been bypassed which results in safer and more efficient journeys for all road users and addresses the high crash history and poor road safety record of this section of the Princes Highway.”

It fulfills a promise that this section of the upgrade would be open before the Easter long weekend.

One of three southbound lanes –  the climbing lane through Toolijooa ridge – will remain closed for about two months to allow for completion work to be carried out within this section.

The upgrade forms part of the Foxground and Berry Bypass.

The road, which will swing around to the north of the township of Berry, is expected to be open to traffic before Christmas.

If that deadline met the project will finish six months ahead of schedule.

Mr Ward said that, once the Berry bypass is complete, travel time for motorists is expected to improve by around seven minutes.