Great Western Highway to remain closed for at least three months
The main road linking Sydney to Western New South Wales is shut off to traffic between Lithgow and Mount Victoria. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
In short:
The NSW government warns the Great Western Highway closure will be lengthy due to serious safety issues.
The Victoria Pass was shut completely earlier this week due to cracking and movement in a historic convict-built bridge.
What's next?
Geotechnical assessments are expected to take a fortnight and repairs will then be another two months, at minimum.
The Great Western Highway will remain shut for at least three months, with the New South Wales government warning the situation is "incredibly serious".
It has announced additional trains, buses and coaches to help Blue Mountains and Central West communities with the closure of the main road link between Sydney and western NSW.
"This is not a short-term repair job," Regional Roads and Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said.
"I understand that this is difficult news, but people deserve honesty and they deserve clarity."
Transport for New South Wales closed eastbound lanes along the Mitchell's Causeway, also known as the Convict Bridge, after cracking was detected by staff last Thursday.
By early Monday morning the entire road was shut after further cracks and movement were found along the 1830s bridge.
"We are dealing with a major geotechnical failure on a fragile and historic section of road, and it must be assessed and repaired properly," Ms Aitchison said.
She said her "heart goes out" to small business owners in the region but warned people "could die on this mountain if we don't act now".
"I really do have your best interests at heart here, but we have to put safety first."
The Convict Bridge was built in the 1830s and is a key section of the Great Western Highway. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)
The roughly 12,000 vehicles that ordinarily use the popular route are being redirected via Lithgow to the Bells Line of Road and the Darling Causeway.
Geotechnical crews are expected to take a fortnight to assess and determine the cause of the damage.
The government said "even under the most optimistic scenario" it would then take a further two months to make the road safe again for vehicles.
Three-hour school round trip
Chloe Toffler manages the Lolly Bug, which relies on the thousands of vehicles driving down Victoria Pass and through Little Hartley to stay afloat.
The shop, which sits on the recently upgraded $200 million highway, is quiet.
"We're taking a quarter of what we take on a day-to-day basis, [but] no one will be coming past us now,"Ms Toffler said.
She is concerned the long-term closure could trigger some difficult decisions.
Chloe Toffler says she is considering changing her children's schools to avoid a three-hour round trip. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
"It's your family business, it's your livelihood," she said.
"All your staff members are your family, [and] you don't want to have to put them out of a job."
Her children's journey to school used to take 10 minutes up Victoria Pass, but now it is a three-hour round trip.
"I'll have to think of changing their schools," she said.
"I'm not even taking my youngest child to daycare because it's not worth the three-hour round trip … for her to stay there for only a few hours."
Heavy vehicle headache
Hundreds of trucks that would have typically driven along the Great Western Highway are being forced to use the windy bends of the Bells Line of Road, which is considered much less safe for heavy vehicles.
A tow truck has been used at least two dozen times since the detour has been in place, and remains stationed at the base of Scenic Hill to help heavy vehicles that lose traction.
Ron Finemore Transport used to send 50 trucks a day down Victoria Pass.
Ron Finemore says the detour has significantly impacted his transport business. (ABC Central West: Jak Rowland)
But founder Ron Finemore said the "avoidable catastrophe" of the road failure meant that was no longer possible.
"The cost increase will be significant — you add an hour, you add a couple of hundred bucks to the cost.
"Where you might do two trips a day, you might only do one because the extra time puts you out of sequence."
'We're open'
Meanwhile, Bathurst is hosting an NRL clash between the Panthers and the Sharks tomorrow evening, and the regional council is hoping the expected 12,000 visitors are still on their way.
Two-thirds of that figure are from postcodes outside of the city.
"We're open, retain your booking, still come, please. Our businesses rely on your trade to survive," said Deputy Mayor Ben Fry.
Ben Fry says 12,000 people are expected to visit the city for the NRL match on Saturday night. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
"If less people come to these events, our city dies a slow death."
The game will be the first of a few key tourism events in the region in the coming weeks, including Orange Food Week and the Bathurst 6 Hour race.
"[The match] is going to be our test case of whether the Bells Line is a viable option for the future."
Bells Line of Road is the alternative route connecting Sydney and the central west. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
Uncertain future
The solution to reopening the Great Western Highway remains unclear.
Ms Aitchison said plans by her predecessor, Nationals Bathurst MP Paul Toole, for Australia's longest road tunnel under the mountains were unachievable.
"I know the former minister used to talk about 'it's going to happen next week', that wasn't the case, they didn't have the funding," she said.
Jenny Aitchison warns the central west this period will be difficult and there is no easy fix. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
"It has to be worked through properly, and I'm not going to make false promises to the community that we've got a silver bullet on this — there is no silver bullet."
Meanwhile, additional public transport will begin from today.
- Friday, March 13: amended school and regular bus services operated by Lithgow Buslines to reduce the impact of the closure on school children
- Saturday, March 14: two coaches will run 12 daily NSW TrainLink services between Bathurst and Katoomba, six in each direction
- Sunday March 15: additional Sydney Train services between Bathurst and Mount Victoria (timetable details still being worked through)