NSW bushfires: Routes to avoid on summer roadtrips
Heading for the coast on a road trip over the Christmas break? Motorists are warned to plan their journeys using the latest emergency services advice to avoid roads closed by bushfires. ALTERNATE ROUTE MAP AND TIMES
NSW
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Motorists are urged to take alternate routes to their coastal holiday destinations to avoid traffic chaos on roads closed by bushfires.
With families expected to flock to the north and south coasts over the Christmas break, Transport for NSW warned they should plan their journeys using the latest emergency services advice.
To avoid bushfire-related delays on the Pacific Hwy at Woodburn, people driving between Ballina and Grafton should go via the Bruxner Hwy and Summerland Way.
While there were as yet no specific alternate routes in the south, where roads were not as damaged by fires, the department recommended motorists check the government’s Live Traffic website before leaving. The worst days for travel are expected to be December 20, 21, 23 and 27, and January 2.
Before Christmas, people travelling to Nowra in the south should expect delays of between 20 minutes to 45 minutes, with delays in the north of up to 45 minutes at Hexham and up to 75 minutes northbound to Woodburn.
Between Christmas and the New Year, travel times to all of these areas are expected to blow out by up to 75 minutes.
Transport for NSW senior regional operations manager Jonathon Crocker said people must be patient.
“We want to ensure motorists get to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible, however we urge everyone to be patient as conditions are continuously changing due to the number of bushfires statewide,” he said.
Transport for NSW south region director Sam Knight said Batemans Bay and Jervis Bay had been identified as “significant” traffic hot spots, with delays expected.
“Based on last year’s data, we predict the weekend before Christmas and the weekend before New Year will be the busiest times to travel,” she said. “Plan ahead and save yourself some journey time.”
To reduce the impact of holiday traffic, no road works will be carried out on the Pacific Hwy over that period.
Last night, there were 13 roads affected by fires — most of them on the north coast. A large section of the Gwydir Hwy between Glen Innes and Grafton was closed in both directions due to fires.