The town of Berry in the state's south is breathing a sigh of relief after the NSW government announced it would begin building a long-awaited Princes Highway bypass.
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The $580 million upgrade of 11 kilometres of highway will mean trucks that have ploughed through Berry's main street for decades will be diverted around the town.
Businesses and locals expressed relief that construction had started on Thursday.
"Elderly locals travel to Nowra to shop because they are too frightened to cross the road," said the manager of the Berry village boutique motel, Samantha Gothard.
Ms Gothard said she was not concerned about the potential business impacts of traffic bypassing the town.
"People who want to come to Berry will come to Berry and we have enough already without waiting an hour in traffic."
Premier Mike Baird said the bypass was a significant transport infrastructure investment in the NSW south coast.
"This upgrade is great news for motorists who use this road and also for local tradespeople, as the project will create about 400 construction jobs."
The bypass is expected to be completed by 2018.
