Road Condition Report

Lachlan Shire Council manages approximately 4,400km of roads. Of those, approximately 1,000km are sealed. The rest are gravelled or natural soil formations, with condition and traffic conditions varying according to the weather and heavy vehicles usage.

Any unsealed road closures within Council will be posted below.

Roads Condition Report 14 August 2020

All unsealed roads within Lachlan Shire remain closed to vehicles over three (3) tonne until 11.00am Monday 17 August 2020, when the condition of the roads will be reviewed. Unless advised otherwise, roads will be reopened to all traffic after that time. School buses, Council road repair plant and Emergency Services are exempted, subject to normal risk assessment.

In the event of flooding, accidents or roadworks, road closures within NSW can be obtained by visiting the website below:

• Live Traffic NSW https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html

 

A map of local roads can be found here: Lachlan-Shire-Council-Road-Map

A map of the local towns can be found here: Lachlan-Shire-Town-Map

 

Road Conditions

 

Drivers are reminded that care should be taken on roads at all times and to drive according to the conditions as required by law. Sudden and/or intense localised storms can quickly change road conditions. When roads are wet or damaged:

• They may be soft, slippery, scoured, silted, potholed, rutted, washed out and/or covered in debris;
• Take extra care and reduce speed to what is suitable for the conditions;
• Unsealed roads may become impassable, particularly those without gravel on “black soil” or soft red loams – they are not all-weather roads;
• Travel on unsealed roads should be delayed or limited to necessary trips and take alternate routes on sealed roads if available; 
• Heavy vehicle trips in particular should be minimised, delayed or re-routed to take advantage of sealed roads;
• Be aware that the shoulders of sealed roads can be damaged or soft, this may be indicated by warning signs, barrier mesh or other warning device if a particular problem has occurred and has been reported, but otherwise treat all wet verges and shoulders with caution;
• Be aware that with over 4,000km of roads, Council may not be  aware of a problem until advised by road users;
• With limited resources Council cannot immediately repair, or install signs on every hazard, major or minor, or where access is already difficult, or in remote locations;
• Damage to roads by users impacts on the level of service for other road users and diverts funds from other needs. 

 

Flood Water Dangers

People should avoid walking or driving through flood waters, especially if it is fast flowing and/or could be deeper than the vehicle’s floor pan. Potential hazards include fast currents, deep water and the water may hide potholes, edges of embankments, debris, washouts and changes of direction. 

 

The combination of moving deep water is particularly risky, with the water pushing against the vehicle and trying to lift it. Some lighter or well sealed vehicles are more prone to flotation than others. 

 

Road Restrictions for Rain

When rainfalls exceed 25mm over large areas, Council usually imposes a 3T load limit to minimise road damage and risk to the public. Light vehicles are permitted with caution to minimise inconvenience. 

 

Emergency services vehicles and essential services vehicles (including council, electricity and telephone utilities, mail contractors and school buses) are permitted to use restricted access roads, subject to risk assessments.

 

During general restrictions, conditions will vary across the Shire as the rainfall intensity, quantity and duration varies. Concessions may be available on request to Infrastructure Services, for urgent transport activity on suitable routes. 

 

Road Closures in Floods

Council rarely closes a whole road, but if it does, it is to reduce risk to travellers or to the roads. 

 

During flooding, Council may set out signs to guide the travelling public away from or around potentially hazardous routes or to limit road damage. 

 

A “road closed ahead” sign indicates that there is a closure somewhere ahead. Local traffic can still use the open parts of the road to access part of the area, but through traffic should follow a marked detour or seek an alternate route. 

 

A “road closed” sign means that the road is closed from that sign and access is not permitted beyond that point. Closures are usually positioned to minimise impacts on residents.

 

Penalties for entering a closed road, exceeding a load limit or interfering with signs may also include the cost of repairs and the cost of recovering a stranded vehicle. Drivers should also consider the risk to themselves, their passengers and rescuers, and possible voiding of insurance cover.

 

During periods of significant flooding, Council provides maps of road closure sites and preferred through routes applicable to various stages of the flooding. This assists drivers who are unfamiliar with the area to plan their trips and the associated temporary signs help to guide them through the Shire. Interference with these signs puts the through travellers in particular at risk, as they may not be familiar with the roads.

 

Concessions to allow specific access may be available on request to Infrastructure Services, for urgent transport activity on suitable routes. This can include stock transports engaged in removing stock ahead of flood danger.