Repair work will begin on landslip sites along the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain from today (Tuesday January 31).
Since the highway was damaged during the severe weather events in early 2022, Transport for NSW has been investigating and designing solutions to repair a number of sites.
“Brown Mountain is a key route for freight, locals and tourists travelling between the Snowy Mountains and the far south coast of NSW,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
Repairs will start on three sites to help get the section of the road back to pre-disaster condition and ensure it is more resilient to future severe weather according to a Transport for NSW spokesperson.
The work will involve reinforcing failed slopes at the three sites between Piper’s Lookout and the Brown Mountain Power Station, about 9km west of Bemboka.
“Design solutions are currently being developed for other sites also damaged during the severe weather events, with work on those expected to start later this year,” the spokesperson said.
“Transport for NSW carried out extensive investigations last year to understand the factors that led to the damage and inform designs that will ensure robust and resilient repair solutions.
“These investigations included flying drones equipped with LiDAR cameras capable of producing high resolution 3D maps of the mountain slope terrain, as well as borehole drilling down to 13 metres to gather information about the ground and soil formation.”
Transport for NSW will notify the community when further work will be carried out and say they will plan repairs to ensure impacts to traffic are minimised wherever possible.
Work will be carried out from 6am to 6pm on weekdays from 31 January and is expected to be completed by early March, weather permitting.
Single lane closures with traffic lights and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place 24 hours a day.
Transport for NSW has thanked motorists for their patience during this time.
For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW app, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
Images: James Fennessy – East Coast Radio