1 month ago
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A collapsed access point for an abandoned mine has closed the Great Alpine Road, causing a 191-kilometre detour for those travelling to Mount Hotham resort.
Workers are in the process of repairing a section of the Great Alpine Road in the Victorian High Country, following the discovery of a sinkhole near Farcas Cross – south of Harrietville.
According to authorities, the damage was caused by a collapsed former mine adit – a horizontal access or ventilation point for an underground mine – with the six-metre-deep hole requiring backfilling before the section of road can be resurfaced.
Those travelling via Bright to Mount Hotham are advised to take the C536 route to Mount Beauty, continuing via Falls Creek, Omeo, and Dinner Plain.
The detour turns a 52-kilometre trip into a 191-kilometre journey – adding an estimated 2.5 hours of driving time.
Victoria's High Country is known to be littered with abandoned mines, dating back more than a century.
Repairs are expected to be completed in early December 2024.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.
