From today, Friday, October 28, from 6.30pm until Monday, October 31 at 5.30am, a section of Cessnock Road between Avery Lane and approximately 600 metres north of Avery Lane will be temporarily closed.
The freight team at Transport for NSW (TfNSW) says a detour for heavy vehicles will be in place via John Renshaw Drive, and is expected to add 23 minutes travel time.
A detour for light vehicles will be in place via Buchanan Road, and is expected to add 18 minutes to the normal travel time.
A spokesperson for TfNSW tells Big Rigs that the closure is necessary while work is underway to floodproof the road.
A temporary closure of a section of Cessnock Road is required to allow the new road alignment to be connected to the existing road. Electronic signs will be used to notify motorists when they can safely travel on the new higher road.
Transport for NSW says it will ensure nearby residents have access to their properties during the closure, and is providing alternative arrangements for access to and from Avery Lane.
The Testers Hollow upgrade is expected to open to traffic by late 2022, with final completion and site demobilisation occurring in early 2023, weather permitting.
Once complete, the project will decrease the impact of flooding along Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow from a one in two-year flood event to up to one in 20-year flood event.
In the event of wet weather, the closure will be rescheduled to the weekend of Monday, November 21, or the weekend of Monday, November 28. Electronic signage will be used to update motorists of any changes to the schedule.
The NSW government has contributed $2 million and the Australian government $15 million towards the upgrade, which will help reduce the frequency and duration of flood events along Cessnock Road.