Sitting on an Illawarra freight route, the new rest stop will add parking and toilet facilities
Construction of the Mount Ousley heavy vehicle rest stop is now underway, with the $8.1 million works to add new parking spaces and facilities to the New South Wales freight route location.
Announced in May, and predicted to begin in August, the state and federally-funded upgrades will feature 10 parking spaces for heavy vehicles, new toilets, rubbish bins and undercover picnic tables.
The northbound project is located close to the intersection of the M1 Princes Motorway and Clive Bissell Drive, north of Wollongong, and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2017.
Federal transport minister Darren Chester says the rest areas will combat fatigue and subsequent accident rates.
“The existing informal rest area near the intersection of the M1 Princes Motorway and Clive Bissell Drive is being transformed to include new facilities, along with more parking spots and safer access to better suit heavy vehicles,” he says.
“Around 3,500 heavy vehicles use this section of the M1 Princes Motorway each day and upgrading the site will make the drive safer for all motorists, including heavy vehicle drivers.
“Safer roads, safer rest facilities and safer vehicles are important elements of reducing our national road toll, and I’m proud our Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme is delivering the goods.”
Previous works, carried out earlier this year, included fencing, closure of the informal parking area and vegetation clearing.