Road and Traffic Closures

When Can You Apply For Road and Traffic Closures?

When it comes to traffic diversion management, Sydney has some strict rules around road closures and interruptions to traffic. This is primarily due to the busy nature of the city. As anyone who’s sat in gridlock in the city’s CBD can attest to, the smallest of traffic interruptions can result in hours of traffic for commuters. You can apply for a road closure if…

• Your project is scheduled for a Sunday. This is the one day of the week that road closures within Sydney are least likely to disrupt traffic. Fortunately, TSS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that we can implement your traffic detour plan on a Sunday.
• You are setting up a worksite. If you’re setting up mobile scaffolding or needing the road to install concrete line pumps, pedestrian ramps, barricades, and temporary driveways, you may qualify for a temporary road closure.
• You are doing roadworks. If you need to access water mains, use mobile cranes, use cherry pickers, or are doing any other work that may cause a hazard to road users, you may qualify for a full or partial road closure. 
• Hosting large pedestrian-heavy events. If you are hosting a market or organising an event where there will be a lot of pedestrians, you may need to apply for a partial or full road closure. If you’re unsure, make sure to contact TSS to help you form a road traffic management plan. 

Abide By The Conditions

There are conditions with road closure applications to which you’ll need to adhere. To ensure you are complying with the requirements of your road closure, you will need to…

• Notify nearby residents of work. At least one week before the proposed works, you need to carry out letterbox drops to affected tenants and occupants that include details of the road closure along with the contact details of the supervisor of the project. If issues arise with occupants, you will need to rectify these. You also need to place an advertisement in a Sydney metropolitan newspaper at least seven days before the road closure.
• Everything needs to be above board. Roads must be closed per the AS1742.3, and the approved Traffic Management Plan (don’t worry, TSS will help you with this area of your road traffic management plan).
• Provide room for emergency vehicles. You need to have a 4m-wide emergency lane for emergency vehicles along the closed lane or road. You’ll also need to notify emergency services that the road closure is occurring so they can plan their routes accordingly. 
• Provide for the safe movement of traffic and pedestrians. This includes providing signs, barricades, and flagmen. TSS are experts in traffic diversion management in Sydney, so we can let you know what equipment you’ll need. 
• Be responsible for the road and your actions. If you damage the roads when they are closed, you are liable to reimburse the city. Additionally, you need to consent to indemnify the city against all damage and injury claims.
• Ensure workplace health and safety is observed. You need to take care of your personnel’s safety, which means supplying them with WHS documentation and PPE. TSS provide all our employees with PPE and WHS documentation, so that’s one less concern for you. You also need to have a Risk Management Plan, which TSS would be happy to help you create and implement.
• Consider the neighbours. Sometimes, some people will live on or nearby the road you are proposing to close. It’s essential to be considerate of them at all times, as they are already bound to be inconvenienced by the road closure. You can be courteous to nearby residents by ensuring their driveways aren’t blocked unless they give you written permission to do so. Additionally, you should observe the City’s Code of Practice for Construction Hours and Noise within the City Centre. In Sydney, this is 0700-1900 on weekdays and 0700-1700 on weekends.