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WIN News Illawarra - 1 October 2014 The release today of the NRMA’s Worst Roads survey confirms that the Albion Park Rail Bypass is needed, Member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson, said today. “The Albion Park Rail stretch of the Princes Highway is a car park and the congestion problem is only getting worse. “The NSW Liberals could have got the Albion Park Rail Bypass started by now instead of spending $1.1 million and wasting the last four years studying a road route which had been decided 15 years ago and is reserved in local Council environment plans. “I’ve been calling for the State Government to front-load all of the necessary engineering, geotechnical, concept design and environmental impact statement work into a clearly defined period so we can get this massive $600 million infrastructure project going. “I want the Albion Park Road Bypass started during the next term of the New South Wales Parliament. “The State Government’s own Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) study released last December confirms that traffic volumes now justify this investment in the Albion Park Rail Bypass. “But the State Government has to resolve a dilemma which means that half of the Albion Park Rail Bypass can’t be funded through its proposed Regional Roads Fund from the proposed sale of NSW poles and wires. “Nothing shows just practically how illogical the State Government’s exclusion of the Wollongong LGA is from its proposed Regional Roads Fund funding than the Albion Park Rail bypass. “Half of it is in Wollongong LGA and the other half is in Shellharbour LGA. ‘Half of the bypass is eligible for funding under the proposed Regional Roads Fund and the other half isn’t”, Ms Watson said.