THE future of an iconic Australian bush track hangs in the balance.
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For years four wheel drive enthusiasts have taken on the Bridle Track between Bathurst and Hill End, one of the top 20 “must do” routes in the country for lovers of the great outdoors.
However, a rock slide in early August forced the road to be closed at Monaghan’s Bluff.
It has remained that way ever since.
Unfortunately for residents living on the Bridle Track and tourists, the huge cost involved to make the road safe to be reopened is proving to be a huge obstacle.
City engineer Doug Patterson admitted the Bridle Track’s closure has presented council with a major problem.
He said council was looking into how much it would cost to get the road back to an operational status.
“And that cost, we know, is going to be quite substantial,” Mr Patterson said. “We’re talking about major dollars here and the need for funding that at present we simply do not have.
“How, or if, we can fund it will become clearer once we finalise the costings to reopen the road. A report will then be prepared and put to council, but at this stage the road will be closed indefinitely.”
Simon Armitage from council said yesterday they had met with residents on site and were looking at a couple of proposals to minimise the inconvenience of the road being closed.
“These include using other roads, but this is difficult as coming from Bathurst this means crossing the Macquarie River and coming from Hill End, crossing the Turon River,” he said.
“The big issue is that the river’s been up because of all the rain we’ve been having, but once the levels go down the crossings should be more than safe.”
“We know it’s an ordinary situation for the residents, but the track at Monaghan’s Bluff is simply too dangerous to risk letting anyone cross it.”