Upper Blue Mountains villages open for visitors despite Victoria Pass closure

The Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass will remain closed until at least mid-2027 after cracks appeared in the 194-year-old Mitchells Causeway, Transport for NSW confirmed on 26 June. A new tourism campaign launched 3 July says the upper Blue Mountains villages of Blackheath and Mount Victoria are open, accessible, and reachable by train.

The closure, in place since early March 2026, has forced all east-west traffic onto detours via the Darling Causeway and Chifley Road, adding significant travel time. Local businesses have reported cancelled bookings and confused visitors who assumed the entire region was cut off. The Upper Villages campaign, funded by the NSW Government and delivered by Blue Mountains City Council with Blue Mountains Tourism, aims to reverse that perception.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the campaign’s message was direct: the upper mountains are ready for visitors. “The Upper Blue Mountains is open, accessible and ready to welcome visitors,” Cr Greenhill said. “Our villages each have their own character, from the heritage charm of Mount Victoria to the dramatic landscapes of Blackheath.”

The campaign, building on the existing “Have you been there, have you done that?” push, targets short-break travellers, train users, and repeat Blue Mountains visitors. It highlights heritage, food, local shopping, accommodation, nature walks, and community events in the villages beyond the well-known Katoomba and Leura.

Cr Greenhill said the campaign was also a direct economic support. “This campaign is about reminding people that the Blue Mountains is easy to visit, including by train, and that now is a great time to explore deeper, stay longer and support local businesses.” He urged visitors to come back, explore deeper and discover something new.

The Blue Mountains LGA sits within a World Heritage-listed national park area, with the upper villages’ economies almost entirely dependent on tourism. The Great Western Highway is the primary road link to Sydney and the Central West, and the Victoria Pass closure has been the most severe disruption in decades.

For Sydney residents, the alternative is clear. NSW TrainLink Blue Mountains Line services stop at Blackheath and Mount Victoria directly, bypassing the highway detours entirely. Additional Sydney Trains services and free coach connections between Bathurst and Katoomba have been introduced. Transport for NSW advises checking timetables as services have been bolstered to accommodate demand.

Visitors arriving by train can explore on foot or use local transport. The campaign website provides planning resources. If you are a repeat Blue Mountains visitor, this is a prompt to head higher: Mount Victoria’s heritage streetscapes and nearby lookouts, or Blackheath’s escarpment walks and village cafes, offer a quieter experience distinct from the busy lower towns.

Don’t assume the upper villages are inaccessible. Train services are fully operational, and the detour for drivers, while longer, is still open. The campaign stresses that the area is not cut off. But the message is: train travel is stress-free and faster than the road detour.

With the highway not expected to reopen until April-June 2027, the current period offers a window to visit before peak summer crowds return. Local businesses are keen to recover from months of reduced traffic.

The new road deck over Mitchells Causeway is expected between April and June 2027. Until then, the train remains the easiest way to reach the upper villages, and the campaign hopes to fill the carriages with weekend explorers.