TOW trucks will be on standby, the speed limit will be increased and the roadworks at Kelso will be on hold, so traffic during Race Week should be smooth sailing, according to Kelso roadworks project manager Craig Matthews.
A stop work order will be in place for seven days for the Great Western Highway upgrade at Kelso to allow for the huge influx of traffic in Bathurst.
There will be no work conducted on the road and truck movements will be halted from Monday, October 5 until Monday, October 12.
The speed limit will be increased from 40km/h to 60km/h.
In addition, a tow truck will be on standby in Bathurst each afternoon on the weekend of the race, as well as on the Monday morning.
“It’ll be on standby in case someone breaks down or has an accident,” Mr Matthews said.
Another tow truck will be on standby during the same times at Mount Victoria to assist those heading to the Blue Mountains.
Some construction work will be conducted off the highway, but it will not affect the traffic flow, Mr Matthews said.
Western Advocate reader Alby Burn has voiced concerns over current traffic hold-ups at the intersection of Pat O’Leary Drive and the Great Western Highway.
He said the traffic lights still allow for westbound motorists to turn right into the shopping centre opposite Pat O’Leary Drive and this, he said, holds up motorists heading east.
“Come Sunday afternoon and Monday, Bathurst will see the worst traffic jam we have ever seen as the eastbound swarm spends half the day giving way to traffic that does not exist,” he said.
Mr Matthews said all traffic lights along the highway through Bathurst will be monitored and can be reconfigured remotely to allow for better traffic flow if required.
“There will be two traffic control RMS [Roads and Maritime Services] crews on standby during the same [time] periods to assist if there’s any accidents leaving Bathurst in any directions,” he said.
Opening hours for the Lee Street diversion will also be extended to operate all day on the weekend during the race to cope with the additional traffic.
Then on Monday, as the traffic departs Bathurst, Mr Matthews said the diversion will be in operation from “first light”.
He said the stoppage was “written into the contract” for each Race Week and Easter long weekend that occurs during the Great Western Highway upgrade works.
Meanwhile, Harvey Norman electrical franchisee Beau Lane said the business has not been affected by the roadworks and customers still have easy access to the store’s carpark off the Great Western Highway.
“Business is booming and going well,” he said.