Jenolan_Caves_Road
Jenolan Caves Road
Road in New South Wales, Australia
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 | |
|---|---|
| Jenolan Caves Road, Hartley | |
| Coordinates |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Rural road |
| Length | 49.7 km (31 mi)[1] |
| Gazetted | August 1928[2] |
| Maintained by | Transport for NSW |
| Tourist routes |  Tourist Route 1 |
| Major junctions | |
| Northeast end |  Great Western HighwayHartley, New South Wales |
| Duckmaloi Road | |
| Southwest end | Edith Road Jenolan, New South Wales |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Lowther, Hampton, Jenolan |
The road is a part of Tourist Drive 1 linking the Blue Mountains to Bathurst via Oberon and Hampton.
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.
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]
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.
| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithgow | Hartley | 0.0 | 0.0 | Great Western Highway (A32) – Lithgow, Mount Victoria | Northern terminus of road and Tourist Route 1 |
| Coxs River | 2.1 | 1.3 | Glenroy Bridge | ||
| Lithgow | Hartley | 6.2 | 3.9 | McKanes Falls Road – Lithgow | |
| Lowther | 12.2 | 7.6 | Lowther Siding Road – Little Hartley | ||
| Hampton | 19.4 | 12.1 | Hampton Road – Rydal | ||
| Hampton | 23.7 | 14.7 | Duckmaloi Road – Oberon | ||
| Oberon | Jenolan | 49.7 | 30.9 | Kanangra Walls Road – Kanangra-Boyd National Park | |
| Edith Road (Tourist Route 1) – Oberon, Bathurst | Southwestern terminus of road, Tourist Route 1 continues northwest along Edith Road | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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- Google (16 June 2023). "Jenolan Caves Road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- "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.
- 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
- Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- "- Landslides close Jenolan Caves precinct again as terrible luck continues". Oberon Review. March 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.