South facing ramps at Dapto

Over the past six months, we have been working to determine the best location for new ramps. We’ve assessed four possible locations, including south-facing entry and exit ramps at Kanahooka Road, Fowlers Road and Emerson Road. We also looked at the Yallah interchange in response to community feedback.

We are now at the stage where we can confirm south-facing entry and exit ramps will be further investigated at Fowlers Road and Kanahooka Road.

View the October 2025  project update (PDF, 1.25 MB) to find out more.

We recently asked the community of Dapto and surrounding suburbs for feedback to help inform the planning and potential locations of additional south- facing ramps on the M1 Princes Motorway.

With over 4200 pieces of feedback received, the level of feedback from the community exceeded expectations, and we would like to thank everyone who responded as this will be invaluable to shaping the project moving forward.

All the feedback we received has been collated into a consultation summary report (PDF, 2.08 MB).

Initial planning for the project will involve identifying:

• preferred locations for south facing entry and exit ramps that provide the greatest benefits
• how new entry and exit ramps will impact the wider transport network, including local roads
• how this project will support long-term transport and land use goals for the area.

The south facing ramps at Dapto project aims to benefit the community by:

• reducing travel distances and travel time to and from destinations south of Dapto
• reducing congestion on local and sub-arterial roads
• improving network resilience with new detour options available for both planned and unplanned closures of the M1 Princes Motorway
• reducing vehicle operating costs and emissions
• improving road safety on the surrounding road network
• providing a more reliable journey and better-connected transport services in the Illawarra Shoalhaven.

We considered Kanahooka, Fowlers, and Emerson Roads as potential locations for the new ramps, as well as other locations suggested during the community consultation. We also looked at the Yallah interchange in response to community feedback.

The process to choose the most suitable locations considered safety, traffic and transport outcomes, cost, environment and sustainability impacts, and long-term benefits.

South-facing entry and exit ramps will be further investigated at Fowlers Road and Kanahooka Road.

This option would increase traffic on local streets and raise safety concerns near schools and pedestrian areas. It also poses greater environmental risks to Brooks Creek and the threatened Grey-headed Flying-fox.  

The local road network isn’t suitable for detoured traffic, and the site’s soft soils and flood risk add complexity and cost. While Emerson Road offers travel time benefits, similar results can be achieved elsewhere with less constraints.

Investigations included an assessment process to choose the most suitable locations based on safety, traffic and transport outcomes, cost, environment and sustainability impacts, and long-term benefits.

We started by identifying a range of potential south-facing entry and exit ramp locations. We then assessed how each option aligned with the project’s objectives: connectivity, safety, amenity and network resilience.

The preferred location for new south-facing entry and exit ramps will be announced in 2026. This will include a visualisation and further details on what the ramps could look like and where they would be built.

The community will have the opportunity to provide feedback when we have a preferred option.

In response to community feedback, the Yallah interchange as proposed as part of the Albion Park Rail bypass was considered as an alternative to south-facing ramps at Dapto, however ramps at either Fowlers Road or Kanahooka Road better aligned with the project’s objectives.

The Yallah interchange, and how it would work with the new south-facing ramps, will still be considered as part of this project.

Transport is looking at broader transport solutions and connectivity between Shellharbour and Wollongong in response to anticipated changes and growth across the Illawarra, including the West Lake Illawarra Growth Area.

Ongoing investigations are considering alternative options to improve the M1 Princes Motorway’s efficiency beyond providing additional entry and exit ramps in the Dapto area. These may include, but are not limited to, infrastructure improvements, new public transport services, and other options outside of the immediate M1 Princes Motorway corridor to improve the travel experience of road users across different travel modes.

Feedback was open to the community from Monday 11 December 2023 to Monday 12 February 2024. The feedback received will help inform the preferred location of the ramps and help us understand what local road users are experiencing.
 
The project is in its early investigation phase, with further consultation planned as it progresses, including opportunities for the community to provide feedback once a preferred option is identified. 

Timing and funding of construction is not yet confirmed.

A number of projects are currently being planned to increase network capacity, cater for future traffic demands, and improve safety for users of the M1 Princes Motorway. 

Investigations include transport solutions to improve multi-modal connectivity between Shellharbour and Wollongong. These solutions will also address anticipated changes across the Illawarra, including the West Lake Illawarra Growth Area, while providing more options for travelling around the Illawarra region.

Further details about specific improvements will be announced at a later date.

• October 2025 – Community notification (PDF, 1.25 MB)
• December 2023 – Community notification (PDF, 213.62 KB)

• Have your say on improving connectivity to the M1 Princes Motorway at Dapto

• November 2024 – Community consultation summary report (PDF, 2.08 MB)