Roads & TransportLindsay SaundersThu 20 Aug 26
Feds Add $100m to Reopen Vital Western NSW Highway Link
Another $100 million has been added to reopen a vital road link between Sydney and the state’s west.
The Commonwealth says it will match the NSW Government’s $100 million commitment to rebuild and future-proof the Great Western Highway at the Pass of Victoria near Lithgow, taking total funding to $200 million.
The additional funding will also deliver an eastbound climbing lane, permanently widening the critical link between the Blue Mountains and the Central West.
Mitchell’s Causeway and Victoria Pass have been closed since March after serious cracking and ground movement prompted Transport for NSW to investigate the failure and develop a permanent engineering solution.
In June, the NSW Government revealed Seymour Whyte had been awarded the contract to rebuild the causeway with a new road deck above the existing structure, supported by piles anchored into bedrock.
More than 150 workers have been inducted on the project, and major reconstruction works are under way.
The Great Western Highway is expected to reopen to traffic in the second quarter of next year.
The additional eastbound climbing lane will be delivered towards the end of reconstruction, allowing motorists to safely overtake slower-moving vehicles and trucks.
Federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said the Commonwealth funding would allow the project to go beyond just restoring the existing road.
“The Australian Government made an early commitment that we would work closely with the NSW Government to reopen the highway as quickly and safely as possible,” King said.
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the additional lane would improve the route beyond the immediate reconstruction.
“By delivering an additional eastbound climbing lane, we are taking the opportunity to improve the road for the long term, giving motorists the opportunity to safely overtake slower-moving vehicles and trucks,” Aitchison said.
The 1832 sandstone causeway, designed by Surveyor-General Major Thomas Mitchell and built largely by convict labour, carries around 12,000 vehicles a day and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.
Extensive geotechnical investigations found stable bedrock beneath the existing structure, allowing engineers to design a new bridge supported on deep piles that will sit above the historic causeway rather than replace it.
The approach preserves the heritage structure while providing a modern crossing capable of carrying current freight and traffic loads.
The prolonged closure has forced motorists and freight operators to take lengthy detours, significantly affecting tourism, supply chains and businesses across the Blue Mountains and Central West.
Detours around the Victoria Pass closure have typically added around 30 to 60 minutes to journeys between the Blue Mountains and Lithgow, depending on traffic and route choice.
