Great Western Highway closed between Mount Victoria and Lithgow - impacts to travel?

[LionKing]

‘Mind-blowing’: How a convict-built crossing closed a Blue Mountains highway

The Great Western Highway is now shut indefinitely, as a stone causeway that’s almost 200 years old threatens to collapse under the weight of neglect and political indecision.

www.smh.com.au

The Great Western Highway, connecting Sydney and Adelaide via Western NSW is now closed between Mount Victoria and Lithgow in both directions due to collapse of causeway at Hartley. This is adding 1.5 hours travel time for a trip which could have been completed in 10 minutes.

I am very concerned that people of Western NSW would not be able to get to Sydney for medical appointments, flights and work, and as such I was wondering whether Qantas should deploy more services to Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo to replace road transport and relief customers from the region to come to Sydney easily whilst prolonged repairs are getting done?

 

[Quickstatus]

I am very concerned that people of Western NSW would not be able to get to Sydney for medical appointments, flights and work

Bells Line of Road.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am very concerned that people of Western NSW would not be able to get to Sydney for medical appointments, flights and work, and as such I was wondering whether Qantas should deploy more services to Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo to replace road transport and relief customers from the region to come to Sydney easily whilst prolonged repairs are getting done?

It permanently takes folks in western Tasmania 4 hours to get to hospital, flights, shops bigger than a small supermarket …

 

[Quickstatus]

Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo also have very good hospitals and medical specialist coverage.

The 200 year old "bridge" and location

 

[kamchatsky]

NSW Government were going to build a tunnel Blackheath and Mount Victoria. But that it got canned:

Farmers warn pausing plans for Australia's longest tunnel will affect food prices

The 11km tunnel would ease transport costs, saving trucks from traffic lights, congestion and frequent crashes, farmers say.

www.abc.net.au

It was supposedly going to be the longest tunnel, and supposedly no tolls.

Maybe now they are going to actually build one, even if there is a toll?

This is the actual project report from TfNSW:

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/rww/projects/01documents/great-western-highway/blackheath-to-little-hartley/blackheath-to-little-hartley-preferred-option-report-05-2022.pdf