Work has begun to assess and repair damage to major highways linking the Central West to the east coast of the state, which were devastated by torrential rain and flooding labelled a once-in-a-generation weather event.
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Although the rain has eased NSW's catastrophic floods are ongoing and roads are still impacted, including the Bells Line of Road and the Great Western Highway, the former is completely cut to and from the Central West.
Bells Line remains closed between Mount Wilson and Mount Tomah and will remain so indefinitely, but inspections have begun to assess the damage caused by significant landslips which caused a large part of the road to break away.
With trees also falling the slope has been left unstable, with Transport for NSW geotechnical experts carrying out investigations on Thursday morning to determine the full extent of the damage, what is required to repair the road and a timeline.
Regional transport and roads minister Paul Toole provided an update on Thursday evening and said necessary, further investigations will be carried out as a priority, adding there is no basis for a permanent closure but also highlighting the complexity of the recovery effort.
Motorists encouraged to use an alternative route on the Great Western Highway, should they need to travel, have been provided some respite as work to repair damage caused by a landslip near Victoria Pass was undertaken on Thursday night.
One westbound lane has been closed on the road for a number of days however the NSW Transport Management Centre confirmed work had been done and was said to be completed on Thursday evening.
That work included slope remediation and clearing of debris, with that section of the highway closed between 9pm and 3am to allow workers to safely and efficiently complete works.
The TMC said geotechnical experts will need to inspect and approve of the work before the westbound lane is reopened to traffic, the checks could be completed as early as Friday.
The Bells Line of Road also remains closed at the Richmond and Windsor bridges as the flood clean-up effort continues, and while a number of roads around the Central West region are still impacted many have now reopened.
Jenolan Caves Road remains closed between Binoomea Ridge Trail and The Bicentennial National Trail and between the Great Western Highway and Duckmaloi Road, with alternate routes provided by Live Traffic NSW.
In Bathurst the low level bridge on Hereford Street reopened on Thursday afternoon after being flooded on Monday while Fremantle and Ophir Roads also reopened that day. Howards Bridge on the Bridle Track remained closed.
Oberon Council confirmed, as of Thursday afternoon, Abercrombie Road was open as were Foleys Creek, O'Connell Plains, Burraga and Lowes Mt Road. Sewell's Creek Road is open up to the intersection of Beaconsfield Road and is open to the Bathurst end near Charlton.
Hazelgrove Road remains closed, and will be until further notice.
Orange City Council provided an update on roads in the city on Thursday afternoon, with all the previously impacted roads now open except for Lone Pine South between Huntley and Dairy Creek Road, as of 4pm.
Motorists are encouraged to proceed through reopened roads with caution and to check with local councils for the most up-to-date closures. People can also see a full list of major road closures via Live Traffic NSW.
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