Waterfall Way is expected to remain closed for at least a week, and potentially up to 10 days, after another significant landslip cut the vital mountain route between the North Coast and the Northern Tablelands.
The closure is in place between Horseshoe Road and Boggy Creek Road, near Gordonville Cutting, after a short but intense burst of rain triggered rock movement across both lanes. Geo technicians and Transport for New South Wales staff were on site yesterday afternoon to assess the damage and determine how long repairs will take.
A council spokesperson told NBN News the landslip was extensive and required detailed investigation before the road could be safely reopened.
“It’s a significant landslip. You know, there’s quite a bit of rock that has come down, and that’s why we need to make sure we we do all the investigations that are needed to understand whether there’s still more unstable rock,” the spokesperson said.
The closure again severs the key connection between Bellingen and Dorrigo, a stretch of road that carries around 10,000 vehicles a day and is relied on by commuters, freight operators and emergency services.
Local diversions have been put in place for light vehicles via Summervilles Road, Gordonville Road, Gleniffer Road, Wheatley Street, Hammond Street and Bridge Street. The detour is suitable in both directions but has a 10 tonne vehicle limit.
Heavy vehicles are required to avoid the area entirely or use alternate routes including the Oxley Highway, Gwydir Highway or New England Highway. Operators of Class 1, 2 and 3 vehicles travelling under a notice are required to consult their enforceable network maps, while permit holders must not deviate from approved routes without updated permits from the NHVR.
For locals, the closure is a familiar frustration, particularly given the frequency of disruptions on the route.
“There’s a big disruption to people’s lives, people trying to get to work, to to the local hospitals, to, you know, all the sort of services they need, to schools, for our farmers to get their product to market. So there’s big impacts. So there’s a lot of frustration when this occurs,” the council spokesperson said.
The latest landslip has again raised concerns about safety on surrounding local roads, which are now carrying additional traffic.
“Traffic gets pushed onto unsuitable local roads, so I think it’s putting our locals at great risk. It actually compounds the deterioration of those local roads,” the spokesperson said.
The repeated closures have renewed calls for an alternate route up the mountain, with councils continuing to push for long term solutions while also seeking quicker upgrades to existing detour roads.
The closure is also affecting local services, with kerbside bin collections in Dorrigo, North Dorrigo and Thora scheduled for Tuesday 20 January postponed. Council said services would be rescheduled as soon as access is restored.
Motorists are being urged to avoid the area if possible, follow all traffic signage and allow extra travel time while assessments and clean up continue.
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