Great Western Highway Speed Cut to 70km/h

Motorists on the Great Western Highway will lose just 50 seconds of travel time when an 8.1-kilometre stretch between Linden and Valley Heights gets a permanent speed cut to 70 km/h on 23 July 2026. The reduction, from 80 km/h, follows years of community pressure over wet-weather crashes and the lack of safe overtaking space for cyclists.

Transport for NSW confirmed the change on 28 May, saying the new limit would apply from 200 metres east of Weemala Avenue in Linden to 60 metres east of The Valley Road in Valley Heights. The review was triggered by local residents who raised a string of safety issues at multiple locations along the corridor.

“Community members who raised safety concerns on the highway between Faulconbridge and Linden addressed a wide range of issues at a number of locations including the high number of crashes in wet weather, lack of highway shoulder for cyclists, sight distances and intersection queueing,” said Damien Pfeiffer, Transport for NSW Executive Director.

The stretch carries local traffic through small Blue Mountains townships, commuters heading to Sydney and long-haul regional drivers. Crash history and the mix of heavy vehicles, passenger cars and cyclists prompted the speed zone review, which found the road environment no longer matched an 80 km/h limit.

Pfeiffer said the new limit “will better match the access density, crash history and risk profile of this section.”

Not everyone is convinced. On social media, some Blue Mountains residents responded with frustration. Facebook and Reddit comments described the reduction as overly cautious on a familiar road, with users joking about average speed cameras and a “blanket 40 km/h school zone for the whole highway.” Others noted that many drivers already ignored the existing 80 km/h limit.

Cycling advocates, however, have long called for safer conditions on the narrow corridor. Ride Blue Mountains, a local cycling group, has previously welcomed similar speed reductions for giving riders a safer margin, particularly on stretches where shoulders are practically nonexistent.

The speed change comes with up to 13 night shifts for signage and line-marking works, which began in late May. Work runs from 8pm to 5am Sunday to Thursday, with traffic control in place. Transport for NSW urged drivers to follow posted directions during those hours.

The new 70 km/h limit applies to all vehicles. An existing truck and bus speed zone eastbound through the area is being shortened to 1.5 kilometres to align with the change. The 80 km/h limit east of Valley Heights toward Warrimoo remains unchanged.

For most trips, the impact is almost invisible on the clock. At 80 km/h, the 8.1-kilometre stretch takes about six minutes; at 70 km/h, it takes six minutes and 52 seconds. The cost, Transport for NSW argues, buys a reduction in risk in an area where wet roads, blind corners and vulnerable road users have long collided.