Oxley Highway between Walcha and the coast set to close sporadically until the end of the year

After closing for months in 2021, the Oxley Highway between Walcha and the coast, is set to close on and off again until the end of the year, to restore six landslip sites along the road.

From September 13 until October 6, the road between Knodingbul and Forbes River roads will be closed every Tuesday to Thursday from 7am to 4:30pm.

Between October 11 and December 16 the same stretch will also be closed Tuesday to Thursday from 7am to 4:30pm and every Friday from 7am until 3pm.

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Walcha mayor Eric Noakes said the town couldn't "catch a break" with the highway causing concerns for years.

"From the bushfire days, through the windstorms and now the rain, it's having a big impact on our businesses that rely on a certain amount of through traffic," he said.

With around 600 cars travelling along the road each day, Walcha is a prime location for a pit-stop on the way to, and from the coast.

Cr Noakes said without this, the community would "suffer".

"The cafes, the fuel stations, they're really feeling the pinch of it when the road is closed," he said.

Some businesses have even decided to shut up shop when the roads close due to a lack of traffic.

"Small businesses in small towns find it hard most of the time," Cr Noakes said.

"To take away this revenue source for them is really hard."

It is expected the sporadic closures will continue until 2025.

Despite the headaches caused for the town's tourism and small businesses, Cr Noakes said there had been a lot of conversations with Transport for NSW to get this done as fast as possible.

"They've been very good with dealing with us," he said.

"They've tried to keep it open on a Friday as much as they could to allow people to get through for the weekend."

Once the restoration of the landslips, which have continued to deteriorate, is complete it is hoped journey times will significantly improve.

In the meantime, Cr Noakes said "resilience" was keeping the town going.

"They [businesses] just keep doing what they're do and look forward to when the roads finished," he said.

"Hopefully the work they do over the next three years will mean when the roads finished it will fix it pretty well for good."

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