Pacific Highway is closed again

THOUSANDS of cars and trucks have been forced to take the long way round as the Pacific Highway is closed for the second time in a month.

Highway traffic was diverted west through Grafton and Woodburn yesterday while the Roads and Traffic Authority inspected a large section of the highway near Shark Creek, south of Maclean, that collapsed into the Clarence River on Sunday night.

The 50-metre landslip was believed to have been caused by a combination of flood damage and a burst water pipe.

An RTA spokesperson said the authority was working to reopen the highway as soon as possible. However, it was expected diversions could be in place for weeks.

The road would remain open to local traffic, but inland roads were expected to be busy while the highway was closed. The closure was causing traffic chaos yesterday, with heavy truck traffic on the Bruxner Highway and traffic jams at Grafton.