THE NSW Government says a new camera being installed this week at Mount Victoria will mean quicker updates for drivers when there are problems on the Great Western Highway.
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It follows a horror few years for the highway - one of Bathurst's two main routes to Sydney - which has included its total or partial closure due to bushfires during the drought and then landslips after heavy rain.
It was also closed recently due to snow and black ice.
Traffic on the highway is also routinely banked up at Mount Victoria at the beginning and end of school holidays.
The NSW Government says a "new cutting edge closed circuit television (CCTV) camera" will monitor incidents on the highway at Mount Victoria.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the camera would be powered by wind and solar and will feed images directly to the Transport Management Centre (TMC).
"We're installing this new camera near Convicts Bridge Point where two highway lanes merge so that we can carefully monitor traffic movements and help identify any hazards or hold-ups for motorists travelling on the Great Western Highway," he said.
"Having information fed back to the TMC in real time will ensure our transport teams can update drivers quicker than ever before, creating a smoother, safer journey through the Blue Mountains for all drivers.
"It will dramatically reduce the time it takes the TMC to respond to incidents in this area and ensure traffic flows smoothly through Victoria Pass, particularly during busy holiday periods where a single incident can have traffic banked up for hours."
The camera is being installed this week while the road is closed for what Transport for NSW says is essential geotechnical work at the site.
During this geotechnical work, which began on Tuesday night (August 30) and is expected to take four nights to complete, weather permitting, westbound lanes of the Great Western Highway will be closed at Victoria Pass and a detour will be in place via Darling Causeway and Chifley Road.
The work will be carried out between 8pm and 5am.
Separately, the NSW Government is preparing for the first stage of work on its multi-billion dollar Great Western Highway upgrade from Lithgow to Katoomba.
For the latest traffic updates, download the Live Traffic NSW app, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
