An $85.1 million improvement project on Wakehurst Parkway is now under way, with crews working along the southern section between Frenchs Forest Road and Oxford Falls Road.
Construction began on 1 June. The project has been in planning and design for several years and aims to address two of the road’s most persistent problems: flooding that has repeatedly closed the parkway and traffic bottlenecks at key intersections. For Frenchs Forest residents who use the route daily to reach Northern Beaches Hospital, Warringah Road and the broader road network, the works represent the most significant upgrade to the corridor in decades.
Construction contractor Ertech Pty Ltd is carrying out the works on behalf of Transport for NSW.
Current works and traffic changes
June works are concentrated in the southern section between Frenchs Forest Road and Oxford Falls Road. Crews are installing safety barriers and temporary fencing, clearing vegetation, carrying out earthworks and excavation, installing temporary asphalt to allow barrier placement, and carrying out drainage work.
Standard working hours run Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm and Saturday from 8am to 1pm. Up to ten night shifts are scheduled for June, running Sunday to Thursday from 8pm to 6am, with noisy work completed before midnight. Oversized deliveries will be scheduled for later at night when traffic is lighter.
Some temporary traffic changes will be in place during night works. Access to all properties will be maintained throughout.
The full scope of improvements
The project delivers upgrades across two geographic sections of the parkway. In the southern section, key works include:
- Intersection upgrades at Dreadnought Road
- New bus stops and a signalised pedestrian crossing
- A new southbound left-turn slip lane and extended right-turn bay
- New lanes in both directions between Dreadnought Road and Oxford Falls Road
- Intersection upgrades at Oxford Falls Road, including a new southbound right-turn bay and a dedicated northbound left-turn lane
- Flood mitigation works in the southern section
- Widening of the southbound lane between Oxford Falls Road and Frenchs Forest Road to create dual lanes
In the northern section at Elanora Road and Mirrool Street, the project includes shoulder widening in both directions, a relocated give-way line at Elanora Road to improve sight lines, and conversion of the service road near Palm Terrace to left-out only to direct traffic through Mirrool Street.
Following community feedback received last year, the Elanora Road design was refined to keep the informal holding bay in place, shift the centre line slightly (by up to 1.5 metres) to improve separation between traffic directions, and add painted chevron medians to encourage lower speeds. The staged approach means if safety improves the holding bay can remain, and if it does not, more substantial treatments can be added.
Wildlife protection built into the works
The parkway corridor runs through bushland that supports a range of native species, and the project includes significant fauna measures.
Fauna fencing will create a continuous protected corridor from Trefoil Creek to Oxford Falls Road. Concrete ramps inside culverts between Oxford Falls Road and Dreadnought Road will allow safe fauna movement beneath the road. Self-closing latches on pedestrian gates will prevent gaps in the fencing line.
Species that will benefit include swamp wallabies, possums, echidnas, bandicoots, reptiles and the threatened red-crowned toadlet.
More than 450 trees will be replanted across the project area, including Scribbly Gum, Coast Banksia, Long-Leaved Wattle and Sydney Peppermint. Cleared vegetation will be redirected for reuse in consultation with wildlife organisations.
Stay updated
The project is being staged to manage impact on the community and the environment, with activities scheduled during lower traffic periods where possible. Noise curtains and non-tonal reversing beepers will be used on site.
For updates, residents can call the project information line on 1800 684 490, email projects@transport.nsw.gov.au or visit click here.
Published 2-June-2026
