THE Jenolan Caves tourist precinct will reopen to the public next week after being cut off by floods and a landslip in March.
Jenolan Caves Road will be reopened at Two Mile to restore access to the precinct.
Bathurst MP and Regional Roads Minister Paul Toole said Jenolan Caves House and the Two Mile access road would reopen on Monday in a big win for the local community and tourism operators across the Bathurst region.
"That's had a huge impact on this World Heritage Area, the communities that live along Jenolan Caves Road and the tourism operators that rely upon access for tourists.
"Crews have since been working hard to repair the road network, so it's great that we're able to reopen the Two Mile section of Jenolan Caves Roads on Monday to allow visitors heading to Jenolan Caves House access to this local tourist attraction.
"Work elsewhere on Jenolan Caves Road is powering ahead with specialist contractors stabilising the slope at Hampton, which links Oberon to the Great Western Highway, on track to reopen to single-lane traffic by the end of May."
Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust director Cameron Chaffey said it would be great to have access to the award-winning tourist attraction after a series of setbacks starting with the bushfires two summers ago, followed by landslips after heavy rain last year, COVID-19 in 2020 and then the recent flood event.
"Mother nature hasn't been kind to us in the past couple of years. However, we are certainly grateful for the tireless work by Transport for NSW crews in remediating the roads in to the caves so we can continue to operate," Mr Chaffey said.
"Two Mile provides more limited access to larger vehicles such as tourist coaches compared to Five Mile, but we are continuing to adapt to ensure our visitors have a fantastic experience."
The damage to Five Mile is significant with geotechnical engineers currently carrying out investigations on the slopes and road, and this section is expected to be closed for an extended period.
