Millions are warned to stay indoors as major roads are turned into rivers in New South Wales’ once-in-a-century storm – here are the closures in your area
- Flooded NSW mid-north coast roads remain the worst affected in the state
- Major road closures are also occurring in and around Sydney city and region
- NSW Live Traffic app or Facebook page recommended to monitor updates
Major roads across New South Wales have been cut off by floodwaters as the state is hit by a once-in-a-century storm event.
Residents living or staying in affected areas in northern NSW and greater Sydney have been advised against all but the most essential travel until the historic downpour is over.
‘Avoid the area. Delay your journey, Do not drive through floodwater,’ Transport NSW’s Live Traffic update centre said in an alert on Saturday afternoon.
Oxford Falls Road on Sydney’s Northern Beaches is one of dozens of roads under water around NSW as the heavy rains showed no signs of easing
A car underwater at Taree, showing the extreme danger of attempting to drive through flood waters
‘Motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel,’ an official Transport NSW statement said.
‘Those who do need to drive should exercise extreme caution and allow plenty of extra travel time.’
Those on the roads on Saturday found normal travel routes blocked in Sydney and across the state where flooding had occurred or trees had come down.
Around central Sydney, road closures include the busy feeder road to the Citywest Link, the Crescent and Bexley Road between Kingsgrove Avenue and the M5 East.
On the north side, another main route, Wakehurst Parkway was closed from North Narrabeen to Oxford Falls.
Earlier, Parramatta Road was closed at North Strathfield.
Around the Sydney region, roads remain closed at Pitt Town and Windsor near the Hawkesbury River and Bells Line of Road at Mount Tomah.
In the Blue Mountains, part of Jenolan Caves Road has been closed and to the south the Illawarra Highway through the Macquarie Pass is closed because of flooding.
Most affected roads are on the NSW mid-north coast, with the east coast’s major road, the Pacific Highway closed in several places, including north of Pampoolah between Coopernook and Glenthorne, and at Moorland.
The Oxley Highway is closed west of Port Macquarie between Sancrox and Long Flat.
A man stands waist deep in flood water at Cattai Creek in Sydney’s north-west
A four wheel drive powers through a flooded road on Sydney’s Northern Beaches – a familiar sight across Sydney this weekend
North of Woolgoolga, Solitary Islands Way is closed near Corindi Beach due to flooding.
Dozens of roads around Nambucca Heads, Failford, Telegraph Point, Maitland and Cessnock are also closed.
The NSW government advises the best official sources for road closure updates are its Live Traffic app and the Live Traffic NSW Facebook page.