Kangaroo Valley locals will finally get some reprieve from traffic disruption after months of uncertainty and road closures.
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Heavy rain in February and March caused major damage and landslips, forcing the closure of access roads on all sides of the valley.
Moss Vale Road, which heads into Kangaroo Valley from Cambewarra Mountain, has only been accessible through traffic escorts every hour on the way in and every half hour on the way out.
This has meant locals and visitors who have missed the trip in have been stuck waiting up to an hour for their next chance, or have been forced to drive around via Berry.
From Thursday, the timed traffic escort will change to a traffic light system which should shorten the wait time to ten minutes rather than up to an hour, locals said.
David, who works as a handyman at resorts in Kangaroo Valley, has been navigating the road escort since it began two months ago.
He joined the queue of traffic heading into the valley on Wednesday, waiting for the go-ahead.
"It runs smoothly as long as we're on time," he said.
"But if I'm rushing..."
Although the system has worked quite well, he's looking forward to the end of the traffic escort as a first step towards normality.
Despite the disruption, David said the wait time usually isn't too long.
The north of Kangaroo Valley, where Moss Vale Road continues to Barrengarry Mountain, is a different story.
The road is still closed to the public, with the exception of emergency services and children going to meet their school bus.
Closures for flood damage repair at Barrengarry Mountain are expected to continue for months, with residents estimating that even October might be optimistic.
Access to the Valley via Kangaroo Valley Road remains open and accessible, but some locals are concerned heavy traffic on the road creates other problems.
"With only one road in, the shoulders just keep getting more and more damaged," local business owner Lance Brown said.
Despite the traffic headaches, Mr Brown said the local community was well informed of the road closures and knew what to expect.