THE annual post-Bathurst 1000 traffic jam got off to a great start on Monday morning as members of the second largest crowd in the history of the event tried to leave the city.
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Prior to the event, police predicted there would be as many as 200,000 visitors to the city, while the four-day crowd figure was 204,512.
On Monday morning, a queue of cars, campers and heavy vehicles filled the eastbound lanes of the Great Western Highway.
There was also heavy traffic on Stewart Street and Hereford Street.
The NSW Live Traffic website warned motorists to expect delays leaving Bathurst, particularly on the Great Western Highway, Bells Line of Road, Mitchell Highway and Mid-Western Highway.
A spokesperson for the Transport Management Centre said the roadworks on the highway coped well with the amount of traffic.
They said traffic commanders were used to keep motorists moving safely, while police also provided assistance.
“We’re not seeing anything different than we would normally see after the race,” the spokesperson said on Monday.
Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie, the commander of NSW Police’s Operation Mawson over race week, said additional officers were deployed to ensure motorists made it home safely from the event.
“Officers will be cracking down on motorists who refuse to obey the road rules, so don’t put yourself, or other road users at risk,” he said.
