Jenolan Caves Road

Jenolan Caves Road is a rural road in New South Wales, Australia, linking Great Western Highway at Hartley to Edith Road at Jenolan.

Jenolan Caves Road

New South Wales
Jenolan Caves Road, Hartley
Jenolan Caves Road is located in New South Wales
Northeast end
Northeast end
Southwest end
Southwest end
Coordinates
General information
TypeRural road
Length49.7 km (31 mi)[1]
GazettedAugust 1928[2]
Maintained byTransport for NSW
Tourist routes Tourist Route 1
Major junctions
Northeast end Great Western Highway
Hartley, New South Wales
 Duckmaloi Road
Southwest endEdith Road
Jenolan, New South Wales
Location(s)
Major settlementsLowther, Hampton, Jenolan

The road is a part of Tourist Drive 1 linking the Blue Mountains to Bathurst via Oberon and Hampton.

Route

The road starts at the intersection of the Great Western Highway and Blackmans Creek Road, then travels south and crosses the Coxs River (Glenroy Bridge). From there it travels southwest and ascends Mount Blaxland, then continues to Hampton and to the Duckmaloi Road intersection. Next it winds south to the 5-Mile section which descends to the Grand Arch. It then goes through Jenolan Caves and leads to a parking lot at Jenolan Caves House. From there it continues northwest on the 2-Mile section before turning into Edith Road at the Kanangra Walls Road intersection.

The road is fully sealed across its entire length. The road is as narrow as one lane on the 5-Mile, Grand Arch, and 2-Mile sections, but the majority of the road is two lanes wide.

History

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[3] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). Main Road No. 253 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Great Western Highway at Hartley) via Hampton to Jenolan Caves (and continuing northwest to Oberon);[2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 253 on 8 April 1929.

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[5] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Jenolan Caves Road today retains its declaration as part of Main Road 253, from Hartley to Jenolan Caves (and continuing northwest via Oberon to Bathurst).[6]

Closures

The road has been closed several times over the years due to bushfires and landslips. Two notable closures were the section between Hampton and Jenolan Caves between January and June 2020 due to bushfire damage and landslips from heavy rain and floods, and closure of the same section in March 2021 due to landslips and parts of the road washed away due to heavy rain and flooding.[7] On May 25, 2021, the road was reopened at Hampton with Stop / Slow restrictions. The 5-Mile section was still closed. The 2-Mile section was reopened on May 10, 2021.

Major intersections
LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
LithgowHartley0.00.0 Great Western Highway (A32) – Lithgow, Mount VictoriaNorthern terminus of road and Tourist Route 1
Coxs River2.11.3Glenroy Bridge
LithgowHartley6.23.9McKanes Falls Road – Lithgow
Lowther12.27.6Lowther Siding Road – Little Hartley
Hampton19.412.1Hampton Road – Rydal
Hampton23.714.7Duckmaloi Road – Oberon
OberonJenolan49.730.9Kanangra Walls Road – Kanangra-Boyd National Park
Edith Road (Tourist Route 1) – Oberon, BathurstSouthwestern terminus of road, Tourist Route 1 continues northwest along Edith Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Route transition

See also

References
  1. Google (16 June 2023). "Jenolan Caves Road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  2. "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  4. State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
  5. State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  6. Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. "- Landslides close Jenolan Caves precinct again as terrible luck continues". Oberon Review. March 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.