One lane will be opened on Woy Woy Road today at 12noon. The lane will be opened 24 hours a day to cars travelling in a downhill direction only.

At this stage, no access will be allowed for cyclists, pedestrians, trucks or buses.

Safety barriers have been installed and Gosford City Council and the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) are asking motorists to adhere to all signage and the posted speed limit.

The reopening of one lane will provide assistance in relieving congestion on the entire Gosford City traffic network, according to Council's Director of City Services, Stephen Glen.

"With only one lane available to traffic it was decided, in conjunction with the RTA, that the lane should operate in a downhill direction only as it would have the most safety benefits in helping reduce traffic queues," said Mr. Glen.

"Council and the RTA are concerned that afternoon traffic is presently queuing excessively on the F3 at both Kariong and Ourimbah as a result of the closure," he said.

"While the morning peak is experiencing additional delays it is manageable, however the afternoon peak is experiencing significant delays.

"The downhill direction will also allow Horsfield Bay and Phegans Bay residents to reach appointments on the Peninsula.

"We are also still in talks with Busways about alternative ways of transporting passengers into the Peninsula and the RTA is continuing to review the traffic lights sequence at the top and bottom of Kariong Hill.

"Residents who would normally travel up Woy Woy Road to access other areas are advised to continue to use alternate routes and we ask that residents plan their journey and allow for extra time.

"We would like to thank the community for their continued patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Pre-opening tests and surveys have been completed, with inspections also carried out along other sections of Woy Woy Road. Geotechnical engineers have been engaged to inspect the road on a frequent basis and Council will continue to monitor the road daily.

The downhill direction only was preferred, as five minutes of stoppage in both directions to ensure all traffic had cleared the site would be required if the two-way traffic under signal control system was implemented. This would result in dangerous queue lengths around the bends and surrounding roads.

Woy Woy Road was closed from Horsfield Road to Woy Woy Creek Bridge after a section of the road embankment at Bulls Hill became unstable and subsided following heavy rain last week.

Council staff were alerted to cracks in the road and arrived on scene within minutes, blockading the road before a section subsided one hour later.

Council will continue to keep residents informed of any updates through the media and Council's website.