Long-term solution to repeated Waterfall Way landslips on the horizon
This landslide closed Waterfall Way in 2021. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)
In short:
Waterfall Way connecting the Coffs Coast to New England will reopen to traffic by April after the road was closed by a landslip.
Transport for New South Wales says one lane of the road will re-open in six weeks' time.
What's next?
Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison says the government's "best minds" are looking to permanent solutions.
A key arterial road connecting the Coffs Coast to New England could be reopened to traffic by April, just weeks after a NSW government minister told the ABC "the mountain is essentially falling off".
Waterfall Way was closed in both directions on January 19 after heavy rain triggered a landslide.
It was the latest in a long-running series of safety issues that have plagued the route.
One lane of the road will open to motorists within six weeks, as experts continue the search for a permanent engineering fix.
The announcement comes after hundreds of residents attended a community meeting in Dorrigo yesterday night to discuss solutions.
A landslide closed Waterfall Way on January 19 this year. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)
Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said the issue was being considered by the "best minds" within her department.
"I know there are a lot of ideas that have been put forward. We'll have our engineers looking at that," she said.
"We've got people from around the world who are used to working with complex slopes to give us advice."
Unstable site
The six-week timeline to reopen one lane of the road will see geotechnical experts prepare the site for motorists.
Shipping containers will be installed along the road to shield drivers from falling debris while emergency remediation work is done at the site of the landslip.
As Waterfall Way opens to traffic, Bellingen Shire Council will start upgrades on Summervilles Road to allow heavy vehicles to use the diversion between Dorrigo and Bellingen.
Crews have been working to stabilise the slope for weeks. (Supplied: NSW Government)
Ms Aitchison said crews were prioritising the quality of repair works over the speed of the solution.
She said "old methods" used to clear previous landslips had degraded the stability of the mountain.
"Up until the early 2000s, if you had a slip you would just send a bulldozer through and send [debris] over the cliff,"Ms Aitchison said.
"That has not helped over many generations."
Jenny Aitchison (right) says the department had listened to concerns from residents across the Dorrigo Plateau. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claire Simmonds)
Dorrigo beef producer David Gibson said the six-week delay would test the patience of local farmers.
"We don't want to put anyone's life in danger by going full tilt and clearing things the way we would have done in the old days," he said.
"But [the delay] just adds to the frustration of what is already a very frustrated community."
David Gibson has welcomed news that a long-term solution is being explored. (ABC North Coast: Kim Honan)
Mr Gibson said upgrading Summervilles Road to a standard suitable for all vehicles would make a huge difference to producers.
But he said any long-term solution would need to ensure the link between the coast and Northern Tablelands centres like Tamworth and Armidale remained viable.
"It's the most logistically friendly way for that freight to go to and from those centres," Mr Gibson said.
"Let's show a bit of future forethought about this and get in and get something done that's not just going to be a patch-up."