Commuters using Moruya's recently reopened North Head Drive cannot but notice the dramatic new cut on the cliff face.
Eurobodalla Council's director of infrastructure Graham Attenborough says the work is a proactive move that protects the important connecting route.
"The danger was more than falling rocks – the entire cliff face was unstable and at risk of collapse," Mr Attenborough says.
"A landslide there would be no quick fix, rather a long-term road closure with months of geological investigations, environmental assessments, permits and tenders – all that before shovels even hit the ground."
Council secured over $1 million of funding from federal and state governments to do the work, first tackling the mountain of paperwork, then the cliff itself. Mr Attenborough says the cliff is transformed.
"The crumbling, vertical face is now a stable slope down to the road," he says.
"We've blanketed the fresh cut with pre-seeded jute to give nature a helping hand and encourage vegetation to take hold. And there's a precautionary catch fence at the base, just in case any rocks take a tumble in the meantime.
"Closing the road to get the job done was not an easy decision but was far less disruptive than a landslide-emergency closure. I'd like to thank commuters for their patience while the work was done - now they can soak up the serenity of this scenic drive without fear of danger from above."
