A record amount of slope remediation and stabilisation work will take place this year to improve resilience along major roads through the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury, starting this month with work on the Bells Line of Road.
Funding for the works is being provided by the Albanese and Minns governments through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
This major effort to improve road safety will begin with remediation work at Mount Tomah from Monday 26 February, and it will be followed by remediation of 2 slope failures at Kurrajong Heights in March.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the works were focused on improving safety at multiple locations and enhancing the overall resilience of major road corridors.
"As most motorists would be aware, some slopes along the corridor were damaged by torrential rainfall between 2021 and 2022 that wrought havoc on the road network," Minister Watt said.
"These works are about helping to improve the public road network and other critical assets so communities aren't impacted as severely when more frequent weather events strike
NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said the primary area of focus will be Bells Line of Road, which is an important transport link for communities in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Central West.
"We have completed emergency work at 3 locations around the Botanic Gardens at Mt Tomah, while work to remediate a fourth site just west of the gardens should take place later this year," Minister Aitchison said.
"Stabilisation work is also well under way to the slope failure on the Great Western Highway near Fairy Bower Road in Mount Victoria.
"This latest work kicking off will further remediate separate slopes at Mt Tomah and Kurrajong Heights - and with work beginning to address another slope failure at Victoria Pass in mid-2024, we are really improving safety at multiple locations and enhancing the overall resilience of the corridors.
"Other areas we will work on this year include Putty Road, which is another vital transport link for Blue Mountains and Lower Hunter communities, the Great Western Highway and Hawkesbury Road.
Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said local residents recognised the need for this work to ensure they have a reliable and resilient road.
"We have seen through bushfires, storms and floods just how vital the Bells Line of Road is for locals, including the businesses who rely on customers being able to reach them. And it's also vital as one of 2 direct links between Sydney and the central west.
"I note that this disaster recovery funding is on top of the $100 million that we have provided to NSW for additional upgrades to Bells Line of Road.
"We need this road to be safe and reliable, and that's what the Albanese government will continue to work with the NSW Minns government to achieve."
State Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle welcomed the works.
"Road stabilisation and safety improvements to address damage caused by natural disasters in and around the Blue Mountains is essential and welcomed.
"In acknowledging the disruptions this may cause my community at times, I'm pleased to see the NSW and Commonwealth Governments working together and making good on our commitments to road safety."
Remediation methods such as rock bolting, shotcreting and steel mesh installation will ensure the slopes are less likely to pose a hazard for road users.
While this work is essential for improving resilience and safety and will be coordinated to minimise inconvenience wherever possible, it also unfortunately means localised traffic delays will be unavoidable for much of the year.
Traffic impacts will include up to 3 separate lane closures along Bells Line of Road for much of 2024, and up to 2 lane closures along Putty Road mostly from the second quarter of this year.
Most remediation work will take place between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday and, less frequently, on Saturday mornings. This will be communicated as necessary.
No work will take place on Sundays or public holidays, unless otherwise communicated. Portable boom gates will be used while work takes place to close lanes. Vehicles will be diverted into a single-lane with stop-start traffic control.
There will be traffic controllers and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h for the safety of workers and road users.
More information on the program can be found on the Transport for NSW website.
