NSW Government Unveils Plan to Reopen Great Western Highway with New Bridge

After a convict-built bridge failed 110 days ago, causing the main route linking Sydney and the state's west to shut, the New South Wales Government has unveiled its plans to reopen the road.

A new bridge will be built at Mitchell's Causeway on the Great Western Highway.

The state government has announced construction is expected to start in the next few weeks, with the road expected to reopen this time next year.

The new bridge will be built over the existing 200-year-old structure.

The road at Little Hartley, just past Lithgow, has been closed since March due to instability, leading to long diversions for trucks and commuters and affecting visitation to businesses.

"The new crossing will be located, as we've thought, on the same alignment, supported by deep piles anchored into the bedrock," NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said in an interview with the ABC this morning.

"The bridge will be constructed above the existing causeway, which will enable [it] to be stabilised and preserved and also allow for a future additional lane."

Support for businesses

The state government also announced an additional $20 million to increase the financial support available for affected small businesses.

Grants for small businesses experiencing financial hardship in Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale have now been increased from $10,000 to $25,000.

The move comes after the government released a $3.5 million support package to "buffer" businesses and councils from the financial impacts of the closure earlier this month.

The support has been available to small businesses experiencing financial hardship in Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale.

The scheme has now been expanded to eligible businesses in a wider area, including Lithgow, Oberon and Blackheath.

This means assistance has been expanded to around 1,900 more businesses.

Region welcomes the news

The Mayor of Lithgow City Council, Cass Coleman, said she has been a "squeaky wheel", pushing the government for answers.

While Lithgow has not been cut off from visitors, it has played a crucial role in the detour between the Great Western Highway and the west of the state.

"Local residents need to know how long they have to cope with the detour, which means 12,000 cars and trucks through the CBD of Lithgow daily," she said.

Eligible businesses in Lithgow, Oberon and Blackheath are now able to apply for $10,000 grants through the government's support package.

Ms Coleman said it was a good start.

"Anything's better than nothing ... we will need to continue pushing the government for more," she said.

"What I will be calling for is that the federal government and the state government need to then step in and provide goodwill funding for Lithgow to take back its CBD, and I think that's only fair."

The money would be used to look at the road structure in Lithgow, as local roads were "copping a beating" as drivers tried to avoid the detour, according to Ms Coleman.

"We are the ones that are hosting the detour, so as far as I'm concerned, we should be compensated," she said.

Original bridge preserved

The original convict-built bridge will remain in place, while the new bridge is built above it.

Ms Aitchinson said it would undergo stabilisation and grouting works to strengthen and preserve it.

"We don't want to put traffic straight onto it; that's why we are doing the piling that will go through that causeway into the bedrock," she said.

Construction to begin in July

The state government announced Seymour Whyte had been selected to construct the new crossing after an accelerated procurement process.

Transport for NSW received 10 submissions from engineering firms vying to replace the convict-built bridge.