Moss Vale Road at Cambewarra Mountain suffered major damage during the 2022 deluge. The road will be closed for urgent drainage work to reduce the risk of landslips during summer. Photo: Supplied.
Moss Vale Road at Barrengarry and Cambewarra mountains will be closed for four days in coming weeks for urgent drain clearing ahead of expected summer rains.
The closures will add up to 90 minutes extra travel time for motorists.
Moss Vale Road will be closed between Barfield and Kangaroo Valley roads at Cambewarra Mountain from 9 am to 3 pm on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 December, and between Bunkers Hill and Myra Vale roads at Barrengarry from 9 am to 3 pm on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 December, weather permitting.
As well as the urgent drainage work to ensure the road is reliable and safe for predicted wet weather over the summer, other work will be carried out including clearing gutters, maintenance of safety barriers, vegetation and signs and litter collection.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) says the machinery required for the maintenance will operate across the entire width of the road and the work cannot be completed safely alongside live traffic.
TfNSW Network Management South director Jonathan Tasker said regular maintenance on Cambewarra and Barrengarry mountains was required to ensure drainage systems were cleared and functioning properly and the road and surrounding area remained in a safe condition.
“Maintaining our road network is critical to ensure a safer and more reliable road during weather events by reducing the risk of flooding and landslips,” he said.
“Work has been scheduled to minimise impacts to road users as much as possible, taking into consideration other scheduled work and road closures across the local network.
“Under normal circumstances, this maintenance would be carried out at night to minimise disruption to motorists.
“However, ongoing work and night-time closures on the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass mean the program must be completed during the day to ensure both routes remain safe and operational.”
Detours will be in place via the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass and the Princes Highway, adding about 90 minutes to travel times. No work will take place on the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass during this period.
During work at Cambewarra Mountain, light vehicles less than 7.5 metres long and under 12 tonnes can detour via Kangaroo Valley Road, adding about 15 minutes in travel time. Access for public transport services, including school and public buses, emergency services as well as residents within the closure zone, will be maintained.
Traffic controllers will be stationed at Barfield and Kangaroo Valley roads to escort residents to their properties.
There will be no access from Walkers Lane or Cambewarra Lookout Road/Tourist Road onto Moss Vale Road.
During work at Barrengarry Mountain, traffic controllers will be located at Bunkers Hill and Myra Vale roads to escort residents to their homes.
Traffic control vehicles will also be positioned at Barfield, Cambewarra Lookout, Kangaroo Valley, Bunkers Hill and Myra Vale roads to escort public buses safely through both worksites.
For more information about work at Cambewarra click here and for more information about work at Barrengarry click here or download the Live Traffic NSW app.
