The Victoria Pass rebuild project on the Great Western Highway in NSW will include an extra lane after Canberra threw in an extra $100 million for the project.
NSW is spending $100m on the two-lane causeway in the pass with reopening due by next June; Canberra has now matched that funding.
Mitchell’s Causeway in Victoria Pass was closed in March due to cracking and movement; in June, the state government named a contractor to build a temporary road deck above the causeway supported by piles driven into bedrock.
The $200 million project also involves adding an eastbound climbing lane for overtaking slow traffic, the state government says.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King says that for 194 years, the causeway served as a link between the Blue Mountains (on the western outskirts of Sydney) and the state’s Central West.
“The cracking has cut off communities, and made travelling through the region challenging,” she explains.
“This will not be a simple repair but getting this done is a priority.”
The minister also believes the mid-June completion date is a realistic one for them.
“We’re looking at mid-2027 to get this project finished, which really is a record. We’ve done this before over in the west with Fitzroy Crossing,” King told a press conference in the Blue Mountains yesterday (August 19).
But she ruled out a possible westbound lane, calling the site “pretty constrained” geologically.
VICTORIA PASS WORK ‘AT PACE’
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison says they are working “at significant pace” to reopen the causeway.
“By delivering an additional eastbound climbing lane, we are taking the opportunity to improve the road for the long term,” she says.
“We now have more than 150 staff and workers who are inducted onto site here, 40 working at any time on site each day.”
She says major piling work should start next week with a 76-tonne rig now in place on site and preparatory micro-piling under way.
Aitchinson says the federal funding will allow them to look beyond simply rebuilding Victoria Pass to future-proofing it by adding another lane.
State MP for Macquarie Susan Templeman says the work will deliver “a more resilient highway built to last”.
“The project will deliver lasting benefits for freight operations, emergency services, local communities and broader economy across the Blue Mountains and Central West region.”
MP for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle welcomed news of the new funding for a third lane.
“This investment … to build a third lane on the new road structure will be incredibly welcome news,” she says.
“Locals and freight operators know better than anyone the difference this additional capacity will make once it is delivered.”
VICTORIA PASS FUNDING BOOST WELCOMED
Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) welcomed news of the extra $100m but says more financial relief is need for freight operators already struggling with the closure of Victoria Pass.
Chief Executive Officer Simon O’Hara says the extra funding is “welcome news” but that two recent accidents on the Darling Causeway have exposed the impact that the detour has had on drivers.
In one incident, a RFNSW truck could not be turned around and the driver had to wait for the accident scene to clear while in a second incident, police escorted heavy vehicles back to an alternative route.
“These disruptions are adding hours to already demanding trips, creating fatigue-management and compliance pressures through no fault of the driver, and leaving operators to carry extra fuel, overtime and vehicle costs,” O’Hara says.
“The closure of the highway is taking its toll on our members who use the highway.”
He says they are “very pleased” by the extra funding for the new lane but “the clock is ticking”.
“The highway is the lifeblood for freight movements between the Central West and the Blue Mountains and its prolonged closure is continuing to place further financial strain on members.”
“It’s imperative that this combined funding package results in a safe, efficient engineering solution for the highway, allowing it to re-open on schedule without delays,” he says.
