That's the opinion of local farmer John Bryce who eventually used a tractor to remove the broken down truck on Tuesday, November 26.

But not before it had spent two hours blocking one southbound lane onto the bridge and totally disrupting traffic.

At one stage it is understood traffic was banked back well along the Princes Highway to Berry and towards Shoalhaven Heads on Bolong Road.

There was even talk of traffic stretching back up Cambewarra Mountain.

Motorists were left fuming, with massive traffic snarls, despite work by the Roads and Maritime Services and South Coast Police, to try and direct traffic around the stricken vehicle.

"It wasn't such a hard job," Mr Bryce said.

"You really could have towed the truck out of the way with a ute."

Mr Bryce said he would have helped remove the stricken truck earlier if he hadn't been in the middle of having a tyre replaced on his tractor.

"Honestly, a ute could have towed it away," he said.

"There was no weight in it [the truck] at all.

"I was surprised someone hadn't done or arranged something sooner."

Mr Bryce gained permission from RMS personnel who were at the scene before towing the vehicle into the nearby fish shop.

The truck broke down in the western lane of the Princes Highway approaching the southbound Shoalhaven River bridge.

It is understood the breakdown happened prior to 7.45am and wasn't cleared until around 10.10am, but the effects on traffic lingered for at least another hour.

"I felt sorry for the guy driving the truck," Mr Bryce said.

"While it certainly caused havoc, it wasn't his fault.

"There was nothing he could do about it.

"People were stuck in traffic, tempers were flaring, they were blowing their horns, and abusing them as they went past.

"It almost got to a road rage incident at one stage.

"The main problem was the truck was in the western lane, blocking one lane onto the southbound bridge. Cars behind it got stuck and couldn't get out to the left lane to cross the river, while the traffic jam also affected cars trying to turn right into Illaroo Road to go to North Nowra."

Mr Bryce and his wife Cheryl have lived on their farm at the northern end of Illaroo Road adjacent to the Shoalhaven River for more than 45 years.

"This is the worst I have ever seen it," Mr Bryce said.

"We've seen lots of heavy traffic and traffic jams etc but never anything like this.

"This was something else.

"It was lucky it wasn't a big truck that had broken down in the middle of both lanes across the bridge - that would have stopped everything - that really would have been a problem.

"I have real fears if something happens to both river crossings, then we'd really be in trouble."