This has now finished. The details below applied up to Sunday 1 November 2026 and are kept as a record.
At a glance
- When
- Sunday 1 November 2026. Road and lane closures between 4am and 4:30pm, depending on the section
- Where
- Along the course from Tempe and Engadine through the Royal National Park and Stanwell Park to Thomas Dalton Park, Fairy Meadow
- Wollongong-side closures
- Point Street, Bulli, 6am to 3pm; Elliotts Road from Squires Way and Carters Lane, Fairy Meadow, 5am to 4:30pm
- Clearways
- Strict no-parking zones between 4am and 3pm; Stanwell Park to Fairy Meadow from 5am to 3pm; towing applies
- Speed limits
- 40km/h on Lawrence Hargrave Drive from Stanwell Park to Thirroul, 6am to 3pm
- Official map
- Transport for NSW interactive road closure and clearway map for MS Gong Ride 2026
- Who it’s for
- Drivers, residents and spectators on the Illawarra coast and in southern Sydney on Sunday 1 November
- What to do now
- Check the Transport for NSW closure map, move your car out of clearway streets before the start time, and allow extra travel time
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against Live Traffic NSW and Transport for NSW (notice unchanged since 26 October)
- Not yet confirmed
- We have not opened the Transport for NSW map or its 12 section maps, so the exact side of the road for each street is unchecked; closure times can change, so check Live Traffic on the day
Roads and lanes along the MS Gong Ride course are closed in stages between 4am and 4:30pm on Sunday 1 November 2026, and special event clearways, which are strict no-parking zones, apply between 4am and 3pm, according to Live Traffic NSW. Vehicles left in a clearway will be towed, even if they belong to local residents or Mobility Scheme Permit holders.
Up to 10,000 cyclists will ride from Sydney to Fairy Meadow. The 80km ride starts from Tempe Recreation Reserve at 6am and the 53km ride starts from Preston Park, Engadine at 8am, and both finish at Thomas Dalton Park, Fairy Meadow by 3:30pm. This guide sets out the closures from the Transport for NSW notice, checked on Tuesday 27 October. It is one of three guides: our trains and start and finish guide and our course and rules guide cover the rest.
When are roads closed along the course?
The Live Traffic notice gives these main windows for road closures and lane closures:
| Time | Area | What is closed or changed |
|---|---|---|
| 4am to 9:30am | Tempe to Sutherland | Sections of West Botany Street, Holbeach Avenue and Bestic Street |
| 5am to 10am | Sutherland to Waterfall | Lane closures on the Princes Highway from Kirrawee to Loftus; delays expected southbound |
| 4am to 2:30pm | Royal National Park | McKell Avenue, Lady Wakehurst Drive, Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and Otford Road; park access via Farnell Avenue only |
| 6am to 3pm | Stanwell Park to Thirroul | Speed limit reduced to 40km/h on Lawrence Hargrave Drive |
| 5am to 4:30pm | Stanwell Park to Fairy Meadow | Sections of Elliotts Road near the finish area closed, with a reduced speed limit |
Which roads close on the Illawarra coast?
On the Wollongong side of the course, the notice lists full road closures in three places.
| Where | Time | Road |
|---|---|---|
| Stanwell Tops and Otford | 5:30am to 2:30pm | Lawrence Hargrave Drive between Stonehaven Road and Otford Road (eastbound), and between Otford Road and Chellow Dene Avenue (southbound); Otford Road between Lady Wakehurst Drive and Lawrence Hargrave Drive. Access to properties along the closed sections of Lawrence Hargrave Drive in Stanwell Tops is maintained for residents |
| Bulli | 6am to 3pm | Point Street between Hill Street and Blackall Street (eastbound) |
| Fairy Meadow | 5am to 4:30pm | Elliotts Road from Squires Way and Carters Lane |
The notice tells motorists to follow the directions of NSW Police and authorised traffic controllers on site. At the finish, the speed limit on Elliotts Road between Squires Way and Cowper Street (westbound) is reduced from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
Where can I not park?
Special event clearways are in place along key sections of the course between 4am and 3pm. They are strict no-parking zones for all vehicle types and apply even to local residents and Mobility Scheme Permit holders. Check the signs carefully, because vehicles left in clearways will be towed and a fee applies. If your vehicle is towed it is moved to the nearest legal parking space, and you can find it on the Find My Car website or by calling 132 701.
| Clearway time | Area |
|---|---|
| 4am to 10am | Tempe to Kirrawee, including the Princes Highway at Tempe and Wolli Creek, Bestic Street, The Grand Parade and Taren Point Road |
| 4am to 11am | Princes Highway, including between Engadine and Heathcote |
| 5am to 9:30am | Engadine Avenue between the Princes Highway and Preston Avenue |
| 5am to 3pm | Stanwell Park to Fairy Meadow |
On the Illawarra coast, the 5am to 3pm clearways cover these sections, all on the side of the road shown:
- Lawrence Hargrave Drive between 400m north of Coalcliff Station and The Esplanade, Thirroul (eastern side)
- The Esplanade between Henry Lawson Drive and 53 The Esplanade
- Trinity Row between 30m north of Godolphin Street (a bus stop) and Farrell Road (eastern side)
- Farrell Road between Trinity Row and Carrington Street (southern side)
- Pioneer Drive and Pioneer Road between No. 11 Pioneer Drive, Woonona and Carters Lane, Fairy Meadow (eastern side)
- Carters Lane between Pioneer Road and Elliotts Road (eastern side)
- Elliotts Road between Squires Way and the car park (southern side)
- Thomas Dalton car park, from Elliotts Road
What about lane closures and speed limits?
The notice says lane closures will be progressively reopened following the event. The main southbound lane closures and speed limits are:
| Time | Area | Lane closed or speed limit |
|---|---|---|
| 4am to 9am | Tempe to Wolli Creek; Brighton Le Sands | Princes Highway lane 1 between the IKEA entry and exit and West Botany Road; The Grand Parade lane 1 between Henson Street and President Avenue |
| 4am to 10am | Sans Souci to Taren Point | Rocky Point Road and Taren Point Road lane 1; speed limit reduced to 60km/h |
| 4am to 10:30am | Kirrawee, Sutherland, Loftus, Engadine | Princes Highway lane 1 between President Avenue (Kirrawee) and Farnell Avenue (Loftus) |
| 4am to midday | Heathcote | Princes Highway lane 1 between Oliver Street, Heathcote and Kooraban Street, Waterfall |
| 4am to 11am | Loftus to Waterfall | Speed limit reduced to 60km/h on the Princes Highway lane 1 between Farnell Avenue and the Waterfall ramp |
| 6am to 3pm | Stanwell Park to Thirroul | Speed limit reduced to 40km/h on Lawrence Hargrave Drive between Old Coast Road, Stanwell Park and The Esplanade, Thirroul |
Motorists are reminded to leave 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists on roads with speed limits over 60km/h and 1 metre on roads of 60km/h or under.
The organiser, MS Plus, says riders pass through the Royal National Park, enjoy ocean views from Stanwell Tops and ride over Sea Cliff Bridge before the finish in Thomas Dalton Park. The closure notice does not name Sea Cliff Bridge, so check the official map for that section.
How do buses and trains change?
Transport for NSW says some buses in Sydney’s south divert between 4am and 10am because of road closures and lane closures, and lists routes 303, 348, 422, 478 and 947. For the South Coast Line, it lists buses replacing trains from Port Kembla to Wollongong from 9am to 6pm and from Wollongong to Port Kembla from 10am to 6.30pm, and a changed timetable between Wollongong, Thirroul and Bondi Junction. Our trains guide has the details for riders and spectators.
Where is the official map?
Live Traffic NSW links the Transport for NSW interactive road closure and clearway map for MS Gong Ride 2026, and attaches 12 section maps of the course, from Tempe and Arncliffe to Bellambi and North Wollongong. We did not open the maps, so use them to check the exact side of the road for your street. For live conditions, see livetraffic.com, and follow @MSGongRide on X and Facebook for event updates.
Sources
- Live Traffic NSW — MS Gong Ride special event notice (closures, clearways, speed limits; checked 27 October 2026)
- Transport for NSW — MS Gong Ride 2026 (event times, bus and train changes)
- MS Gong Ride — The event (course, 80km and 53km rides)
Featured image: Sea Cliff Bridge (photo: World4srk / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with MS Plus, the MS Gong Ride, Transport for NSW or Live Traffic NSW. Road closures and clearways can change; check the official pages above and the signs on the day.