Bulli Pass natural disaster recovery

Work crews have continued to make progress with repairing landslip damage on Bulli Pass, despite the ongoing wet weather including natural disaster event in early April that saw almost 200mm of rainfall in 24-hours – the highest daily rainfall recorded at Bellambi since 1998.

Following that heavy rainfall, work crews were diverted from work for two days to clear loose soil, rocks and vegetation from sections of the road.

Given all the added moisture in already heavily saturated ground on Bulli Pass, Transport for NSW (Transport) has decided to make some changes to the repair plan at the hairpin bend. More soil nails will now be installed than originally planned to provide even more strength to the slope.

The extra work is not expected to change the project schedule. 

Some of the work completed in April includes:

• reinstalling a section of the rockfall fence
• the start of drilling soil nails at the hairpin bend
• building new stormwater drains to better manage water run-off
• removing damaged shotcrete and completing all ground works at the site one kilometre below the hairpin bend so that soil nailing can begin.

There will be no work on Bulli Pass during the upcoming closures on Mount Ousley Road, as Bulli Pass is the detour route for motorists during the Mount Ousley Road closures. 

For the latest traffic updates, download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

Transport thanks all motorists for their patience while this extensive repair work is carried out.

Work crews involved in repairing landslip damage on Bulli Pass began installing soil nails at the hairpin in April 2024.

Extensive landslip repairs on Bulli Pass are progressing well with work at all four landslip sites starting last month.

This work is being carried out to repair damage caused during the record-breaking rainfall across the Illawarra and South Coast in 2022.

Some unplanned repairs were completed in the third week of the project to provide extra strength to a part of the slope when new cracks appeared in the road surface where heavy machinery was operating. These repairs have held very well, and the work has been able to continue with some changes to the way it is being carried out.

After preparing all the sites ready for the main work, more than half of the soil nails have now been installed at the two sites closest to the top of Bulli Pass.

Work at the hairpin bend has included building new stormwater drains and reshaping the slope to better manage run-off during heavy rainfall. The rockfall fence has also been reinstalled. All the existing shotcrete surface (about 1200 square metres) has been removed from the site in the lower section.

The month ahead will see installation of soil nails continue at all four sites, construction of more drains, the start of work to install a capping beam to the outer edge of the road at the top site and removal of loose soil and rock at the hairpin bend.

Transport thanks all motorists for their patience while this extensive repair work is carried out.

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Bulli Pass natural disaster recovery - Soil nailing

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Record-breaking rainfall across the Illawarra and South Coast during 2022 caused significant landslip damage on Bulli Pass.

The road was closed for 12 weeks so that emergency work could be carried out but has since remained open to traffic while detailed investigations were conducted to help with planning the complex repairs needed to stabilise the landslip sites.

Transport’s geotechnical team has continued to monitor all active sites until all repairs are completed.

Transport added seven significant landslip sites to its natural disaster recovery project register after the severe weather events in 2022.

Repairs have been completed at three of these sites.

Work on the remaining four sites will be completed in 2024.

These landslip sites require complex repairs.

Transport will complete repairs that, depending on each site, could include:

• removing loose rocks, soil and vegetation
• stabilising and adding strength to the damaged slope
• upgrading stormwater drains
• repairing road surfaces and replacing guardrails.

Some factors are out of Transport’s control and can cause delays to repair progress, including:

• weather - heavy rain and storms could make working conditions unsafe.
• workload – the statewide increase in demand for qualified contractors, equipment and resources could mean longer timeframes for repairs.
• worksite – steep and narrow sites could create some unexpected challenges.

An extensive work program began in February 2024 to repair the remaining landslip damage on Bulli Pass.

This work is expected to take up to six months to complete.

The work will be carried out four landslip sites, including three sites in the top section of Bulli Pass between the M1 Princes Motorway and hairpin bend and another about one kilometre downhill from the hairpin bend.

The critical part of the work involves installing long steel rods, called soil nails, that will add strength to the mountain slope and then applying a layer of spray-on concrete, known as shotcrete, to prevent further erosion.

The work also includes installing new drains, repairing damaged road pavement and replacing guardrails.

While the work is carried out, Bulli Pass will be closed to all traffic in both directions Sunday to Thursday nights, from 7.30pm and 4.30am.

Detours will be either via Lawrence Hargrave Drive or M1 Princes Motorway and Memorial Drive.

The lefthand northbound lane about one kilometre downhill from the hairpin bend will also be closed both day and night.