Construction on the Wakehurst Parkway upgrade will continue near Oxford Falls Road, with rock breaking, stabilisation, earthworks, drainage and utility work planned.
In September, work will continue between Trefoil Creek and Oxford Falls Road, where crews are preparing to widen the southbound side of the parkway and build a larger sandstone retaining wall near the intersection.
Oxford Falls hillside to be cut back for 230-metre wall
The road widening requires crews to cut into the existing hillside on the southbound side of Wakehurst Parkway, where a smaller rock wall is currently located.
The retaining wall will be extended and enlarged to about 230 metres in length and up to 4.4 metres in height. Transport for NSW says the finished wall will be designed to resemble the sandstone rock faces already found along Wakehurst Parkway.
Sections of the rock face needing additional support will be stabilised with rock bolts and shotcrete. Rock bolts involve steel bars being inserted into drilled holes to reinforce the rock, while shotcrete is concrete sprayed directly onto the rock surface at high pressure.
Any shotcrete used will be colour and texture-matched to the surrounding sandstone.
Excavated sandstone may also be crushed and processed for reuse as fill elsewhere within the project. The approach would reduce the amount of material sent to landfill while allowing excavated rock to be reused on site.
After-midnight rock breaking scheduled near Oxford Falls Road
September works will take place during standard construction hours and at night.
Standard hours are Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. Out-of-hours work may take place between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Rock breaking near Oxford Falls Road west will include some noisy work after midnight. Nearby residents will be contacted before higher-impact activities take place.
Temporary lane closures and reduced speed limits may be introduced while work is underway, with traffic controllers and signage directing motorists through changed conditions.
Work may generate noise, light and vibration, while workers and construction vehicles will continue moving through the site.
Measures planned to reduce disruption include non-tonal reversing alarms, watering exposed areas to manage dust and targeted lighting to minimise light spill. Oversized deliveries are expected to take place later at night when traffic volumes are lower.
Rare Angus’s Onion Orchid salvaged from work area
Environmental work near Oxford Falls Road has also involved the salvage of a threatened plant species found in only a small number of locations on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Microtis angusii, commonly known as Angus’s Onion Orchid, was identified near the construction area before work began in that section. The orchid has a single hollow, onion-like leaf and can produce up to 60 small green flowers.
Flora ecologists worked with the project team to recover the plants before construction moved into the affected area. The salvaged orchids were donated to the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
The orchid salvage forms part of environmental management work associated with construction along the Wakehurst Parkway corridor.
September program follows construction that began in June
Construction on the Wakehurst Parkway improvement project began on 1 June after several years of planning and design. Early works included vegetation clearing, installation of safety barriers and temporary fencing, excavation and drainage activity along the southern section of the corridor.
The broader upgrade covers sections between Frenchs Forest and Narrabeen and includes intersection changes, additional lanes, flood mitigation works and safety improvements.
Published 27-Aug-2026
