The Minns Labor Government will invest $50 million to strengthen and improve key detour routes in the Blue Mountains and Central West, as part of the government's response to the ongoing closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass.
The funding will support asphalting, shoulder widening and other corridor improvements along Darling Causeway, Chifley Road and Main Street in Lithgow, helping keep traffic moving as safely and reliably as possible during what is expected to be a prolonged disruption.
The $50 million detour package will improve the safety, resilience and reliability of the alternative routes now carrying increased traffic volumes, including more freight and more motorists unfamiliar with these mountain roads.
Work is already underway. In the past fortnight, crews have patched over 6,000m2 of Chifley Road and laid more than 1,500 tonnes of asphalt on Darling Causeway. The team have also carried out shoulder widening and refreshed line markings to make journeys smoother and safer.
The Government is continuing to work on both short-term actions to support communities impacted by the closure through funding, additional public transport and on-the-ground support, while longer-term solutions are progressed across government and with expert engineers.
The Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass has been closed since 12 March after serious cracking and ground movement were detected at Mitchell's Causeway.
Detailed geotechnical investigations and ongoing monitoring have confirmed the site remains unstable, making it unsafe for traffic.
Transport for NSW is continuing engineering analysis, geotechnical testing and design work to determine the safest and most effective repair pathway. The Government will have more to say as that work progresses.
Other routes to the Central West and Blue Mountains, including Bells Line of Road, the Golden Highway and Lachlan Valley Way, will continue to be monitored and maintained during the disruption.
While motorists can expect longer travel times, the Central West and Blue Mountains remain open and ready to welcome visitors over the Easter long weekend.
Additional public transport support will also remain in place, including extra rail, coach and bus services for Blue Mountains and Central West communities.
For the latest information on the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass, including detour maps, visit the dedicated website here.
Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:
"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, 6000m2 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."
Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle said:
"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 Mountains and the Central West is absolutely open over Easter, and I encourage people to keep backing our local businesses and communities."
