Crucial highway link to remain closed during Bathurst 1000

The Great Western Highway, which links Bathurst and more broadly speaking New South Wales’ west with Sydney, has been partially closed since March.

Engineers discovered instability at Victoria Pass, necessitating the bridge be closed.

The New South Wales Government on Friday announced that the Great Western Highway’s Victoria Pass will not reopen before 2027.

The state government has confirmed Seymour Whyte had been appointed to construct a new crossing at Mitchells Causeway.

Construction is set to begin in July and will be completed in time to be opened in the second quarter of 2027.

The closure will impact the Bathurst 12 and Bathurst 6 Hour, although patronage for those events is significantly less than the Bathurst 1000.

Bathurst Deputy Mayor Ben Fry is set to meet the New South Wales state government today to discuss the impact on the Bathurst 1000.

What it means for commuters is a detour and an increase in traffic without an alternative route that is expected to cause congestion.

Before Friday’s announcement, Fry told Speedcafe that the Bathurst Regional Council had been in regular communication with Supercars and the New South Wales Government..

“We’re acutely aware of the impacts it may have on Bathurst 1000 and have made sure that we’ve gotten Supercars the right amount of resourcing and contacts within the state government to assist with that event development – not just in logistic terms, but in communication terms,” Fry told Speedcafe.

“Supercars need these timelines and realistic expectations around that road closure so that they can communicates with teams, roadshow, industry, and importantly the spectators that attend that event.

“The state government has really been communicative and are speaking with Supercars directly about the impacts of that closure and how they mitigate any risk around that.

“It’ll really be on Supercars and Destination New South Wales to articulate what that means to people traveling to the Bathurst 1000 to make sure that it’s as smooth a trip as possible.

“All I can say is it’s no doubt going to take a little more time to get to Bathurst, but I think it’s important to have a positive view of these things.

“We are still operating. We’re still open for business. I don’t want to deter anyone away from coming.

“Yes, it might take a little longer, it just means the reward at the other end of seeing that big, beautiful Mount Panorama sign as you come over the range is going to be all the more sweet once you get here.”

The Bathurst 1000 takes place on October 8-11.