Highway closure prompts Bathurst 1000 traffic warning
More than 200,000 fans are expected at the race, with drivers diverted around Victoria Pass and a concert planned to spread out departures.
Transport for NSW is warning Bathurst 1000 spectators to allow extra time for their journeys as the Great Western Highway remains closed at Victoria Pass. More than 200,000 fans are expected for the event, with Sydney traffic diverted through Lithgow.
The highway has been closed since March, diverting vehicles onto Darling Causeway and Bells Line of Road. On Monday, queues approaching Lithgow from Central West NSW stretched about 12 kilometres, adding several hours to trips across the Blue Mountains.
Transport for NSW coordinator-general Howard Collins warned of lengthy queues and slow travel in both directions. Authorities have suggested alternatives including the Golden Highway from the north and the Hume Highway through Goulburn. Drones and extra tow trucks have been deployed to track traffic and respond to crashes and breakdowns.
Practice begins on Thursday, with Sunday's main race to honour Peter Brock, who died 20 years ago. Some spectators have already arrived and established camps at Mount Panorama.
Bathurst Regional Council plans a Monday night concert featuring The Angels and The Choirboys to encourage fans to delay their departure. The concert has A$185,000 in state government support. Campers at mountain and council-run sites can extend their stays beyond the usual Monday midday departure.
A high-visibility police operation will continue until Monday. Assistant Commissioner Greg Moore said hundreds of additional officers would assist, targeting speeding, drink-driving, fatigue and dangerous driving.
