Macquarie Pass

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Macquarie Pass is a 8 kilometre long section of the Illawarra Highway passing through Macquarie Pass National Park. It was opened in 1898.^[1]

Macquarie Pass links the Highland town of Robertson to the coastal town of Albion Park via very narrow bitumen roadway, which is often single lane, and for the most parts, drivers & motorbike riders are to obey the double "no overtaking" lines.

This section of roadway is very steep, and contains a large number of hairpin bends, resulting in buses and trucks needing to reverse on some of the bends. The pass is quite notorious for accidents, because of speeding, prangs, stricken heavy vehicles on hairpin bends & vehicles going over embankments. Drivers and riders are required to be cautious.

After heavy rain, the Macquarie Pass can be closed due to flooding on the top half of the pass. Cars and motorbike riders are opted to use Jamberoo Mountain Road between Robertson and Jamberoo, while trucks are advised to travel up or down Mount Ousley Road between Sydney and Wollongong.

On weekends and public holidays, the road is also very popular with motorcyclists, resulting in a number of councils and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority issuing a safety brochure titled Motorcycling Macquarie Pass.

[edit] Planning of Caloola Pass

During the 1980s, an alternative route was proposed^[2] - ascendeding along the Illawarra Escarpment from Albion Park to Robertson (adjacent to Yellow Rock). Due to a lack of funds, the proposal was scrapped.