Final work is underway to repair the Bells Line of Road and improve its ability to cope with severe weather events.
While access along the road resumed on April 11, a five-kilometre section remains under traffic control due to extensive flood damage suffered earlier this year.
“The NSW Nationals in the state government are committed to building a safer and stronger regional NSW by helping communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible after the devastating floods,” Deputy Premier and NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro said.
“There is a lot of work being done to make sure we safe-proof this road for future floods and this includes measuring vertical movements of slope and testing soil moisture content.
“A drilling rig is also being used in a number of locations at Mount Tomah to provide critical information regarding the current soil conditions which will inform next steps in the repairs.”
NSW Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said it was a complex and challenging road to repair.
“The teams are out there around the clock conducting detailed testing of the underlying rock condition and the movement of water to ensure that whatever works we carry out fix the problem in the long-term,” Mr Toole said.
“The main priority is ensuring that our workers and our motorists are safe. I know the delays are hard, the detours are frustrating and the timeline to get this road back to pre-flood conditions seems long, but it is essential that we do it safely and thoroughly, so that these communities are not in this position again in the future.”
Changed traffic conditions remain in place including traffic control and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h.
