Work will soon begin to repair the largest of 9 landslip sites on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain.
Work will be carried out from Monday 8 April 2024 about 800 metres west of the Brown Mountain Power Station, to repair significant damage caused by severe weather events in 2022.
The Albanese and Minns Governments are funding this $2.6 million project through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Transport for NSW has appointed specialist ground engineering contractors, Piling & Concreting Australia (PCA), to repair the landslip damage and fully restore the road at this location.
PCA will drill and install more than three kilometres of seven-metre-long steel rods, known as soil nails, to anchor the section of failed slope before applying a layer of spray-on concrete to prevent further erosion.
The work, which will take about 20 weeks to complete, has been planned to keep traffic moving as an important link between the ACT and South Coast while also ensuring the safety of motorists and workers.
The repair work will be carried out with large machinery and workers operating in an area about as wide as a standard single car garage to repair a site about the size of a suburban house block, which creates some unique challenges and risks.
For this reason, a 200-metre section of the highway will be reduced to a single lane, with temporary barriers and traffic lights in place 24 hours for the duration of the work.
In addition to this latest work, contracts are expected to be finalised soon for more repairs to be carried out this year at another 3 landslips on Brown Mountain.
Tenders are also being assessed for a site about 1-and-a-half kilometres east of the Fred Piper Memorial Lookout that has been limited to a single lane due to the extensive damage on the road.
Transport for NSW has made significant progress on its natural disaster recovery work, with repairs completed on more than half of the 100 landslip sites it is managing on several key state roads across the Illawarra and South Coast.
During the repair work, motorists are advised to allow an extra 5 minutes to travel times and drive to conditions and Transport for NSW thanks the community for their patience while these important repairs are carried out.
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain:
“The ongoing closures associated with landslips and rockfalls on Brown Mountain are frustrating for all of us who use the highway, which is why the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are working together to kickstart this crucial repair work.
“This is one of Brown Mountain’s biggest ever repair jobs and will be fantastic for locals and tourists – with this new infrastructure to go a long way to preventing further erosion and to improving road safety on the busy Snowy Mountains Highway.
“I’ll continue to advocate for longer-term planning for Brown Mountain, because it’s important that frequent and intense weather events don’t impact the reliability of this key road network.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Member for Monaro Steve Whan:
“As the major arterial road connecting the NSW Sapphire Coast with Canberra, Brown Mountain is used not only by tourists during the Winter and Summer seasons, but by ambulances and transport services each-and-every day.
“The closures over the last couple of years due to landslips caused by unprecedented rain, have greatly impacted the electorates of Monaro and Bega, and I welcome the commitment from the Minns and Albanese Governments to complete remediation work to ensure the road is safe and reliable for all those who use it.
“I will continue working with my colleagues in both state and federal government to advocate for a long term solution to the Brown Mountain section of the Snowy Mountains Highway.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:
“This latest repair work on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain marks a significant step towards restoring the region’s vital transport infrastructure – Dr Holland, Minister McBain and Minister Whan have been fantastic advocates for their communities on progressing these repairs.
“Through the joint efforts of the Australian and NSW Governments, we are investing $2.6 million in this project to repair the largest landslip site.
“This funding underscores our commitment to supporting the communities affected by natural disasters and reinforces our dedication to infrastructure resilience.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Regional Health and Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland:
“It’s great to see work progressing on Brown Mountain.
“The Australian and NSW Governments are making steady progress in our natural disaster recovery efforts along several key state roads.
“The completion of repairs on over half of the 100 landslip sites managed by Transport for NSW in the Illawarra and South Coast regions is a testament to their dedication to restoring connectivity and resilience in our communities.”
