Cut off at the Pass: how these road closures and roadworks could affect your Easter travel plans

It’s coming up to that time of the year again – the big Easter road trip – and there’s nothing worse than getting stuck en route to your family holiday destination in road works or worse, having to turn around because of unforeseen road closures. 

Of course, there are very handy tools such as Livetraffic where you can check road works and road closures but what if you want to check major road closures ahead of the next holiday break? Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered if you’re wondering "how to check for road closures”, or “are there any road closures near me?” 

Note, this article refers only to major road closures due to road maintenance and upgrades. For closures due to flood or other reasons, check Livetraffic’s full incident list. 

Victoria Pass full road closure 

Anyone heading west of the Blue Mountains from Sydney this Easter may need to consider driving out via Bells of Line Road. The 200-year-old Convict Bridge, officially known as Mitchell’s Causeway or the Pass of Victoria, on the Great Western Highway has been closed due to significant defects. According to Transport for NSW, defects in both directions plus measurements by geotechnical equipment have been identified, forcing the department to close the major thoroughfare. Detours have been set up at Lithgow for those heading eastward via Main Street, Chifley Road and Darling Causeway before rejoining at Mount Victoria. 

A spokesperson for TfNSW confirmed to Open Road that with the pass closed for 72 hours so far, there is no confirmed reopening time yet for the route, but it is expected it will take at least two weeks to determine what repairs are necessary to reopen it.  

“Crews have been working around-the-clock with around 90 Transport for NSW staff and contractors deployed each day across the site and the diversion route. 

“Monitoring provided by the enhanced geotechnical equipment that has been established at the site will be required for at least the next two weeks to get a clear baseline of the data and insights to inform what is needed to make any necessary repairs. We will update the community when we have that information. 

“Transport is working on options to reopen the road in parallel to receiving geotechnical data. 

“A full closure of both lanes of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass remains in place, with diversions in place until further notice. This means no traffic, including emergency vehicles, can go over Mitchell’s Causeway.” 

Newcastle and Maitland road works 

Major road projects including the extension of the M1 Pacific Motorway, the Hexham Straight and the Newcastle Inner City Bypass continue to make progress in the Hunter Valley region, with alternate routes recommended by Transport for NSW (TfNSW).  

To avoid the Hexham area entirely, drivers are recommended to drive east via Newcastle, while a detour via Thornton and Millers Forest is advised to avoid the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace. Those travelling from the north towards Newcastle can skip Heatherbrae and drive via Medowie. If travelling eastwards from the Upper Hunter, consider going via Wallsend and Seahampton. 

Most project works are conducted after 7pm, however, travel times may be extended by up to 15 minutes not including peak hour traffic. 

More info:  

• M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace 
• Pacific Highway improvements at Hexham 
• Rankin Park to Jesmond - Newcastle Inner City Bypass 

North Coast road works 

The Coffs Harbour Bypass continues with single lane closures affecting traffic in both directions all day and all night during the week and between 7am and 6pm on Saturdays. Speed limits are reduced to 60km/h, with drivers advised to plan extra travel time. 

Those leaving early for Easter to head towards Queensland for the Easter break may want to think twice about using the M1 tunnel at Tugun, though long delays are not expected. There will be intermittent closures of the northbound lane of the Tugun Bypass Tunnel between March 18 to April 1 2026 while scheduled road work is undertaken. Traffic delays are expected to be five minutes. 

South Coast road works 

The Mount Ousley Interchange is getting an upgrade from February 1 to December 31, affecting traffic in both directions. Expect single lane closures, reduced driving speeds and frequent stopping at: 

• M1 Princes Mwy between Mount Ousley Rd and Northfields Ave 
• Mount Ousley Rd 
• Irvine St 
• Northfields Ave (including northbound M1 Princes Mwy on and off ramps) 
• Dumfries Ave 

Also, Macquarie Pass south of Sydney heading to Kiama remains closed between 8pm to 4am due to $9.6 million stabilisation works. Commencing at the start of September 2025, the works are conducted between 8pm to 4am, Sunday to Thursday, and are expected to take six months to complete. Keep an eye on Livetraffic prior to heading down to Kiama if that’s your Easter go-to and you travel at night. Detours are in place adding an estimated 10 minutes. 

Likewise, construction work to upgrade the Jervis Bay intersection continues, contributing to traffic disruption. Residents only may access the northern section of Jervis Bay Road, while others can access Jervis Bay by detouring via Hawken Road and Pine Forest Road. 

The Princes Motorway at Bulli Tops to Gwynneville is also closed in both directions on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday from March 22 to April 2 2026. A detour is in place via Memorial Drive, Bulli Pass, Appin Road or the Macquarie Pass (see above), but drivers in vehicles exceeding 19 metres/50.5 tonnes are unable to take these routes and MUST delay their journey. 

Southern Highlands road works 

Another one for those leaving early for the Easter break: the northbound lane of the Hume Highway at Marulan will be closed all day between March 16 and April 1 2026 for resurfacing. Northbound traffic will be diverted into the southbound lane, and drivers are advised to account for an extra 20 minutes travel time on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends. 

Single lanes of the Hume Highway at Yarra will also be closed at various times for resurfacing. Work will be conducted from March 23 to April 3 2026 between 6am and 5pm. Drivers should allow for an extra five minutes travel time.