In welcome news for much of the Snowy Valleys, Elliott Way officially re-opened on Friday following significant safety repairs stemming from the 2019-20 bushfires.
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The road between Tumbarumba and Cabramurra was first closed after the Dunns Road fire caused intense damage to the scenic drive, and later storm damage - paired with subsequent landslips - put a further delay to repair work and the scheduled reopening, which was pushed back a number of times.
Elliott Way traverses through some of the highest settlements in Australia and offers a shortcut for local farmers with land on either side of the mountains.
It is also a popular tourist route for those travelling from the South Coast, and local businesses keenly felt the loss of foot traffic while the road was closed.
Manager of southern ranges services for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) Ryan Petrov thanked the local community for their patience while the "most complex parts of the road repairs" were completed.
He said that NPWS anticipates the reopening will provide a much-needed tourist boost to local businesses, as it comes during the start of a busy summer period.
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"Despite severe weather which caused further delays in recent months, NPWS has completed the critical structural works, reinstatement of the road base, and embankment stabilisation which required 20,000 tonnes of rock," Mr Petrov said.
"Completion of ongoing superficial works and resealing of the road surface over the summer may require some brief, planned closures but these will be communicated well in advance and timed to minimise disruption."
Mr Petrov also warned that the nature of the road corridor has "significantly changed since the fires", noting that further road closures may be caused by slips or rockfalls at short notice.
"NPWS will continue to monitor road conditions and undertake all efforts to minimise disruptions during the completion of the current works as well as any future works," he added.
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