Police are reminding those leaving the South Coast and Snowy Mountains areas to be patient as road closures and traffic diversions are periodically being put in place due to fires.
While emergency services are continuing to urge those who are holidaying in these areas to leave as it will not be safe at the weekend, they are reminded to remain calm and be patient as they make their way out.
State Emergency Operations Controller, Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys, said conditions are continuously changing and sections of roads closing and opening periodically as the fire emergency continues.
"The NSW Police Force and the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) are working to maintain safe travel passages for people in Southern NSW, but fires are impacting some of these routes," Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.
"With the assistance of Transport for NSW, we have been running controlled access to various arterial roads to allow people to leave impacted areas, but sections of the Princes Highway are being closed periodically for safety reasons.
"The road networks are currently fully loaded in many areas, so please be patient and remain calm. Importantly, obey all directions from police or other emergency services.
"We also recommend you have plenty of fuel and a fully-charged mobile phone, as well as water and snacks for the trip, as lengthy delays are expected."
The Transport Management Centre is currently advising (current as at 3.45pm):
The Princes Highway is now closed between Milton and Tomerong due to a bushfire.
• Motorists heading north from areas between Batemans Bay and Milton are advised to delay their trip, as the road is expected to remain closed for several hours due to fire activity.
• Motorists already on the highway are advised to stop in Milton or Ulladulla.
• There is very heavy northbound traffic on the Princes Highway heading towards Milton.
The Princes Highway is also closed in the following locations:
• Between Batemans Bay and Moruya
• Between Narrabarba (south of Eden) and Cann River (Victoria)
From Narrabarba, you can travel west on Imlay Road to the Monaro Highway to head north.
The Princes Highway remains open in the following locations:
• Between Tomerong and Nowra
• Between Moruya and Narrabarba (south of Eden)
The Snowy Mountains Highway is open at Bega so anyone on the Far South Coast can travel to Canberra or Sydney via the Snowy Mountains Highway to Cooma, the Monaro Highway to Canberra and the Hume Highway.
Motorists are advised to allow plenty of extra travel time as traffic on the Snowy Mountains Highway is very heavy.
Motorists in these areas are advised to exercise extreme caution, follow the directions of emergency services and traffic crews and drive with headlights switched on due to smoke in the area.
Many other roads remain closed including:
South of Nowra:
• Jerrawangala to Tomerong - Turpentine Road is closed
• Wandandian - Wandean Road is closed between the Princes Highway and Bollerang Road
• Nowra Hill to Charleyong - Braidwood Road/Nerriga Road is closed
Around Braidwood:
• Braidwood to Nelligen - the Kings Highway is closed
• Braidwood to Moruya - Araluen Road is closed
• Braidwood to Cooma - Cooma Road is closed
In and around the Snowy Mountains:
• Tumut to Adaminaby - the Snowy Mountains Highway is closed
• Batlow to Tumbarumba - Batlow Road is closed
• Jindabyne to Khancoban - Alpine Way is closed
A number of smaller local roads are also closed in the South Coast and Snowy Mountains areas, and many roads crossing the New South Wales-Victorian border are also closed, including the Monaro Highway between Rockton and Cann River (Victoria).
Up to the minute information about road closures is available at livetraffic.com.
The community is also reminded that the Public Information and Inquiry Centre (PIIC), is open to assist members of the public in relation to bush fire information for these areas.
The telephone number to call is 1800 227 228.
Information specifically relating to the bushfires can be obtained by contacting the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or online: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au.
