Now that a date has been set for Jamberoo Mountain Road to finally reopen on 17 July, Kiama Council is hosting a barbecue to thank residents for their patience.

The event will take place at Jamberoo RSL on 15 July, two days before the road reopens to the public.

 Mayor Neil Reilly says everyone is invited to attend and nab themselves a free sausage sandwich while chatting with engineers about the lengthy repair process.

“Council knows the closure of Jamberoo Mountain Road has had a significant impact on the local community and businesses, especially [those] who use the mountain for their daily work commute, school run or shopping trip,” Mayor Reilly said.

“This barbecue is our way of celebrating the return to ‘business as usual’ and saying thank you for persevering throughout the last year.

“It’s also a chance to share, face to face, the details of the significant amount of work that went into this multi-million-dollar project.

“This way we hope everyone can understand the scale and complexity of the work involved.”

Jamberoo Mountain Road is the key connecting infrastructure between the Kiama LGA and the Southern Highlands, and its closure last year – due to storms and landslides – has been devastating for some local businesses.

The $4.2 million project to repair the road also includes repairs at Foxground which are nearly complete, and repairs are underway at Wallaby Hill Road.

Saturday 15 July, Jamberoo RSL, 11-12.30pm