BLOR closed but will reopen – though no firm date – no permanent closure

There is no timescale for when Bells Line of Road will reopen – it’s currently closed due to a number of landslides, cutting off residents west of the river from food and essential supplies.

There has been rumour and some inaccurate information on social media about landslides closing Bells Line of Road permanently – that is not true.

We have spoken to Transport for NSW this morning and we’ve got the facts.

Briefly they are:

• At the moment the road is closed

• There are concerns about stability and safety of the slope at Mt Tomah

• There could be further landslips as rain continues, so the road remains closed at the moment

• “There is no basis to the claim that this would lead to a permanent closure of the Bells Line of Road,” says a TfNSW spokesperson

• When the weather improves, crews will work on stabilising the bank and the road will reopen

• An exact timeframe is not possible at the moment until a more detailed inspection can occur, and that won’t happen until rain eases.

Here is the full TfNSW statement:

“There are concerns regarding the stability and therefore safety of the slope at Mount Tomah on the Bells Line of Road after an initial inspection yesterday by geotechnical specialists who advised a risk of further failure.

“There are also a number of healthy trees falling onto the road, posing further safety concerns at this location.

“There is no basis to the claim that this would lead to a permanent closure of the Bells Line of Road.”

“The safety of crews and community remains a top priority for Transport for NSW.

“We are prioritising assessments of the damage on our networks, including roads and rail, and will continue to carry out emergency repair work when it is safe for our crews to do so.

“As the weather impacts start to subside in coming days, we will be in a position to provide more detailed updates about planned repair work.

“Crews will work to stabilise the slope as soon as possible but an exact timeframe is not possible to predict until a more detailed inspection can occur and rain eases.”

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