By now you’ve probably heard about Victoria Pass. If you haven’t, here’s the short version: the Great Western Highway between Lithgow and Mount Victoria is closed — not partially, not one lane — fully closed, with no confirmed end date. Transport for NSW found that the 200-year-old Mitchell’s Causeway has some fairly serious structural issues, and until they fix it, the road is shut.
That means every car, every four-wheel drive towing a bike trailer, every truck that normally blasts over the mountains from Sydney to the Central West is being diverted through Lithgow. Around 11,000 extra vehicles a day are now rolling through town.
And they’re not stopping.
Here’s the Part That Stings
Here’s what makes it worse than just “traffic isn’t stopping.” The detour doesn’t even take people down Main Street — it sends them down Mort Street, which is a parallel route that largely bypasses our shops entirely.
So not only is the traffic not stopping — most of it doesn’t even see us.
The shops on Main Street, the cafes, the specialty retailers — they’re one block over from a river of vehicles that has no idea they exist. That’s a lot of passing trade that isn’t passing anything useful.
This post is our attempt to fix that, at least a little. If you’re driving through Lithgow — whether you’ve just come over the mountains or you’re heading toward them — here’s what you’re missing by staying on the detour route.
What’s the Detour Route?
If you’re heading west from Sydney via the Great Western Highway:
- Traffic diverts at Mount Victoria onto Darling Causeway and Chifley Road
- You come through Lithgow via Mort Street
- You rejoin the highway west toward Bathurst and Orange
If you’re coming from the west, same deal in reverse. You’re going through Lithgow either way. The only question is whether you pull off for ten minutes.
From Western Sydney: About 90 minutes from Penrith. Budget extra time during peaks — Monday to Thursday 8:30–10am and 2–3:30pm, Friday 8:30am–3:30pm, Transport for NSW suggests allowing an extra hour through those windows.
From Bathurst: About 50 minutes east, no change to your usual route.
What’s Actually Here
Main Street, Lithgow is one block from the detour. Here’s what’s on it and nearby:
Lithgeek — 85 Main Street
That’s us. Custom gaming PC builds, phone and laptop repairs, and tech accessories. If you’ve been sitting on a cracked screen, a laptop that sounds like a jet engine, or a vague plan to finally build a proper gaming rig — we’re here. Walk-ins welcome. We also have a very good dog.
Lithgow Bike Stop — 219 Main Street
Yamaha and Kawasaki dealer, been part of this community since the early 80s. Family owned and run by people who actually ride. If you’re the kind of person hauling bikes on a trailer through the mountains — which, judging by the traffic, is quite a few of you — these are your people. Parts, accessories, servicing. Worth knowing they exist.
A Reader’s Heaven — 180–184 Mort Street
Here’s a fun one: this bookshop is actually on the detour route and people are still driving straight past it. New and used books, been serving Lithgow for close to 30 years. University bookshop, community gathering place, art gallery on the side. The kind of independent bookshop that doesn’t really exist anymore — except here it does. Mon, Wed–Fri 9:30–5:30, Sat–Sun 9:30–3pm.
Lost Souls Bookshop — 114 Main Street
Second-hand, remainder and new books, plus RPG games and supplies. Also a community space that promotes local artists and runs regular tabletop gaming sessions (D&D, Rivers of London, and others). If you’re the kind of person who considers themselves a reader or a gamer — or you have kids who are — this is exactly what it sounds like and it’s worth your time.
The Blue Fox — Main Street
Heritage building, fairy lights, run by a local family. Reviewers consistently call it the best dinner stop between Sydney and Bathurst. If you’re on a long drive and you’re debating eating in the car versus eating somewhere actually good, this is your answer.
The Tin Shed
Converted farm shed turned restaurant. Excellent food, good parking, the kind of atmosphere you don’t expect to find and then can’t stop talking about. Highly rated, locals love it, worth the short detour off Mort Street.
And While You’re in the Area…
If you want to actually make a day of it rather than just a pitstop:
- Hassans Walls Lookout — Drive to the top, no hiking required, genuinely spectacular view over the valley.
- Glow Worm Tunnel, Newnes — 40 minutes from town on dirt roads, but one of the more memorable natural experiences in regional NSW. Take a torch. Turn it off inside.
- Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum — One of the best industrial history museums in the state. The “Fire in the Mine” light and sound show is worth the entry price alone.
- The Foundations — Former Portland Cement Works being transformed into a cultural hub. Monthly markets, large-scale murals by Guido Van Helten, pop-up galleries.
And if you’re heading east and can spare five minutes, the Lolly Bug in Little Hartley is right on the old highway route — 1,500+ varieties of confectionery from around the world. It’s a destination in its own right and they’ve been doing it tough with reduced traffic since the closure. Worth a deliberate stop.
A Note on What’s Actually Happening Here
There was a business community meeting recently where local operators sat in a room and talked honestly about what the Victoria Pass closure is doing to this town. The word “survival” came up more than once. People are making impossible decisions without knowing if the road opens in six months or three years — hard to plan when you don’t know if you’re refinancing your house or investing in a future.
The frustrating irony is that more traffic is coming through Lithgow than ever before. Eleven thousand extra vehicles a day. And most of it rolls down Mort Street and keeps going.
The one thing everyone in that room agreed on: the fix isn’t grants or government campaigns. It’s people choosing to stop.
So if you’re driving through — and you are, because there’s no alternative right now — pull off. Get a coffee. Buy a book. Drop your phone in for a screen repair. Support the businesses that have been here for decades and are working hard to stay.
It takes ten minutes. It matters more than you’d think.
Lithgeek — 85 Main Street, Lithgow NSW 2790
📞 02 6353 1669 | 🌐 lithgeek.com
Mon–Wed 10am–5pm | Thu 10am–9pm | Fri 10am–4pm