NSW Govt invests $50m to improve detour routes in Central West & Blue Mountains

The New South Wales Government is investing $50 million to strengthen and improve key detour routes in the Blue Mountains and Central West regions, as part of its response to the ongoing closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass.

This funding commitment will support asphalting, shoulder widening and other improvements along Darling Causeway, Chifley Road and Main Street in Lithgow to help keep traffic moving as safely and reliably as possible during an expected prolonged disruption.

The $50 million detour package will not only improve safety, but it will also boost resilience and reliability of the alternative routes that now carry increased traffic volumes, including more freight and more motorists unfamiliar with these mountain roads.

Source: Transport for NSW

Works are already underway and in the past fortnight crews have patched more than 6,000m2 of Chifley Road and laid over 1,500 tonnes of asphalt on Darling Causeway.

The project team has also carried out shoulder widening and refreshed line markings to make journeys smoother and safer.

The State Government is continuing to work on short-term actions to support communities impacted by the closure through funding, additional public transport and on-the-ground support. Long-term solutions are also being progressed across government and with expert engineers.

“This $50 million package is focused on improving the safety, resilience and reliability of the corridors now carrying significantly more traffic as a result of the closure.

“We are working every day on short-term actions while continuing to progress longer-term solutions across government and with expert engineers.

“We are moving quickly to strengthen detour routes, supporting affected communities, and continuing the engineering and planning work needed to determine the best path forward.

“Crews are already working with more than 1,500 tonnes of asphalt laid on Darling Causeway, 6,000m2 of patching on Chifley Road, shoulder widening underway and line marking refreshed to support traffic flow over the last two weeks.

“We know this disruption is significant for local residents, businesses and freight operators, and we will continue working every lever available to support them.

“We will have more to say as the engineering work progresses,” Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said.

The Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass has been closed since 12 March after severe cracking and ground movement were detected at Mitchell’s Causeway.

Detailed geotechnical investigations and ongoing monitoring confirmed the site is still unstable and unsafe for traffic.

Source: Transport for NSW

Transport for NSW will continue with engineering analysis, geotechnical testing and design work to determine the safest as well as most effective repair pathway. Meanwhile, the New South Wales Government will have more to say as works progress.

Other routes to the Central West and Blue Mountains – including the Bells Line of Road, the Golden Highway and Lachlan Valley Way – will continue to be monitored and maintained during the disruption.

The Central West and Blue Mountains will remain open and ready to welcome visitors over the Easter long weekend however, motorists can expect longer travel times.

Support from additional public transport options will remain in place, including extra rail, coach and bus services for Blue Mountain and Central West communities.

“This closure is putting real pressure on communities across the Blue Mountains, so this funding is an important step to help keep people moving safely and support the region through the disruption.

“It will help strengthen the roads people are relying on right now, while the extra public transport support remains in place for local residents and visitors.

“The Blue Mountain and the Central West is absolutely open over Easter, and I encourage people to keep backing our local businesses and communities,” Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said.

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Transport for NSW (1, 2)