This is the stark assessment of Shoalhaven Business Chamber roads and transport spokesman Tony Emery.

“All levels of government need to get off their butts and start working together on a solution that can be funded,” he said.

“Agencies need time to plan the upgrades and the infrastructure through Nowra. There’s been very limited consultation over the past two years with council about how the traffic is going to move through Nowra once the bridge is built.

“It’s only going to get worse very quickly once the new bridge is built.”

Mr Emery said planning the East Nowra Subarterial Road (ENSA) needed to begin urgently so that some traffic could be directed out of Nowra. 

“At the moment, motorists have to contend with six sets of traffic lights through Nowra. In the current bridge proposal, there’s another set planned for Pleasant Way,” he said.

“There will be another set at Flinders Road within five years and if Stockland Nowra expands, there will be another set. We could end up with nine sets of lights.”

Mr Emery also threw his support behind the FIX IT NOW campaign, saying commerce as well safety would benefit from upgrades to the Princes Highway south of Nowra.

“Australia leads the world in terms of heavy road freight combinations but we can’t use many of them on the Princes Highway south of Nowra.

“Some of the bigger combinations would cut haulage costs by 20 per cent.

“If we don’t bring the highway up to a standard that can safely take the bigger truck combinations we make the cost of doing business on the South Coast 20 per cent higher.”

Mr Emery called on the federal government to commit to an 80-20 funding split for Princes Highway funding, similar to that enjoyed by the Pacific Highway.