Scenic Eastern Escarpment Upgrade

Thursday, 11 July 2024

The community consultation report for the essential and future design works survey, which closed earlier this year, is now available.

Following significant progress on the restoration of the Lapstone Hill Tunnel, Council called for community feedback on a number of upgrades that must be completed before the tunnel can open for public use.

The report presents the community’s feedback that will inform ongoing project planning for the Lapstone Hill Tunnel project.

Download the report here (also available from the Documents tab on the right of this page).

Download the report's Appendix here.

28 March 2024

A range of accessibility upgrades to the Lapstone Zig Zag Track and Top Points Lookout are now practically complete and the popular walk is now open.

The upgrades include:

• Transforming the Zig Zag track into an accessible, shared, asphalt pathway of approximately 850 metres running out to Top Points Lookout.
• An accessible, elevated platform at the Top Points Lookout at the northern end of the pathway, which will provide views over the Cumberland Plain.
• A formalised parking area in the Knapsack Street cul-de-sac providing five angled parking spaces, and including two accessible parking spaces, for the community.
• Improved landscaping next to the parking area and trail head, including a small rain garden for stormwater treatment.
• Seating at intervals along the pathway.

While Council has worked to ensure the Zig Zag Track and Top Points Lookout can reopen for Easter, there remain some minor landscaping improvements to be made in the weeks ahead.

Survey closed.

Monday, 18 March 2024

Council is calling for community feedback on a series of essential upgrades and future design elements for the Lapstone Hill Tunnel.

Before the tunnel can be opened to the public, improvements to the tunnel’s drainage system need to be made, as well as the installation of lighting and electrical connections.

We are also calling on the community to consider:

• How the cultural and heritage significance of the tunnel might be reflected.
• Initial thoughts on a proposal for a bridge across Knapsack Gully near the western entrance of the tunnel.
• Future opening and closing times for the tunnel.

This survey closed on Monday, 8 April 2024.

Following community feedback, installation of the drainage and lighting solutions, plus further minor repairs and remediation, is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024.

7 December 2023

Unfortunately, the opening of the accessible Lapstone Zig Zag shared path and Top Points Lookout upgrade has been delayed into early 2024 .

This is due to extensive delays in the supply chain and fabrication of necessary steel components for the upgrade of Top Points Lookout. This also has a flow-on impact for the work on the shared path. Heavy machinery needs to use the path to access the lookout and until the lookout work is completed, the surface of the path cannot be laid.

It is now anticipated that the Lapstone Zig Zag and Top Points Lookout accessibility upgrades will be completed in March 2024.

Currently, work is underway on repairs to the Northern and Eastern rock walls at Top Points Lookout.

Once completed, the upgrades will provide:

• An accessible, shared, asphalt pathway approximately 850 metres long along the alignment of the existing Zig Zag Track to the Top Points Lookout.
  
  
• An accessible, elevated platform at the Top Points Lookout at the northern end of the pathway, which will provide views over the Cumberland Plain.
  
  
• A formalised parking area in the Knapsack Street cul-de-sac providing five angled parking spaces, and including two accessible parking spaces, for the community.
  
  
• Improved landscaping next to the parking area and trail head, including a small rain garden for stormwater treatment.
  
  
• Seating at intervals along the pathway

While this area remains closed to the public for a little longer than anticipated, completed upgrades to a number of shared walking tracks and trails, lookouts, steps and stairs within nearby Knapsack Reserve allow visitors to explore the fantastic bushland of the Scenic Eastern Escarpment. Recent upgrades include:

• Marges and Elizabeth Lookouts
• Elizabeth Lookout Track to Knapsack Bridge
• Marges Lookout Track to Lennox Bridge
• Lovers Walk to Mitchells Pass (Whitton Memorial Place)

We apologise for the delay to the Zig Zag and Top Points Lookout upgrades and appreciate the community’s patience as we work to complete the improvements.

15 June 2023

From Friday, 16 June 2023 the Lapstone Zig Zag Walking Track and Top Points Lookout, as well as the end of the Knapsack Street cul-de-sac, will be temporarily closed to allow a range of upgrades to be made, including:

• An accessible, shared, asphalt pathway approximately 850 metres long along the alignment of the existing Zig Zag Track to the Top Points Lookout.
  
  
• An accessible, elevated platform at the Top Points Lookout at the northern end of the pathway, which will provide views over the Cumberland Plain.
  
  
• A formalised parking area in the Knapsack Street cul-de-sac providing five angled parking spaces, and including two accessible parking spaces, for the community.
  
  
• Improved landscaping next to the parking area and trail head, including a small rain garden for stormwater treatment.
  
  
• Seating at intervals along the pathway

The track and lookout will remain closed while the upgrades are completed.

The work is expected to be finished late 2023 (weather permitting).

We thank the community for their patience as we work to deliver these important accessibility upgrades.

Update on Elizabeth Lookout

April 2023

Elizabeth Lookout is planned to have new handrails installed.

A partial closure is required from Wednesday 26th April 2023 to end of July 2023 to allow for handrail replacement and lookout platform renewal works.

Update on new accessible Zig Zag to Siding Lookout track

September 2022

Improvements to Lapstone Zig Zag Walking Track to Siding Lookout have been delayed due to multiple natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The accessibility upgrade will provide a new inclusive experience for more members of the community and is one component of a $2 million upgrade to nearly two and a half kilometres of lower mountains walking tracks.

The Lapstone Zig Zag to Siding Lookout upgrade includes the construction of a new accessible pathway along the current track alignment, to an upgraded Siding Lookout, providing improved vistas of the Nepean River and across the Cumberland Plain.

Following the historic Zig Zag railway track alignment the path will keep the bushland experience natural and intact as well as making significant heritage features more accessible. This will be the first fully accessible bushland track in the lower Blue Mountains. Currently less than four per cent of bushland walking tracks in the Blue Mountains are wheelchair accessible.

The upgrade to Siding Lookout will wrap the edge of the existing switchback. It will also include seating and interpretive signage, and will address drainage issues.

Council will be formalising some parking at the end of Knapsack Street, with priority given to compliant accessible parking. You can view the proposed parking plan here.

Work is now expected to commence in 2022 (but is dependent on weather). During works, the track will be closed to the public for safety reasons. There will be no alternative route to connect to Zig Zag.

Designs for the accessible path are now available. The community is also invited to have its say on the colour of the path. Take our quick poll to tell us your preference. The poll closes on Tuesday, 5 October. Council is also looking into options for the texture of the path, in line with accessibility standards.