Work is beginning on the next $14.7 million stage of the southern feeder road, taking the project west from Anson Street to Shiralee Road.
Over the last ten years, as grant funding became available, Orange City Council worked on the first three stages of the southern feeder road:
- From the top of Anson Street to Forest Road
- From Forest Road to Elsham Ave (including the rail overpass bridge)
- From Elsham Ave to the Mitchell Highway
Orange Mayor Jason Hamling has welcomed the start of work on Stage 4 to take the road west from Anson Street.
EXTENSION: Trucks travelling along Southern Feeder Road will be able to travel west to Shiralee Road, once Stage 4 of the project is completed.
"Creating the transport infrastructure that a growing city needs has been a priority for this Council and we're now delivering the next stage," Cr Jason Hamling said. "Multi-million-dollar projects like this one can only happen in partnership with all tiers of government and Council is pleased to be working with the NSW and Australian governments to deliver this expansion of our road network."
The Council has awarded the 1.7 km construction contract project to the MAAS group. The first phase of the project will see construction work begin on a new roundabout at the corner of Park and Shiralee Road. It also includes upgrading a 500-metre section of Shiralee Road from Park Road to the railway overpass bridge.
With construction work to begin later this month, the project is expected to be finished in about 12 months. Letters are being sent to residents in the area.
"We're going to be asking residents in the area to be patient in the coming year while streets in their neighbourhood are upgraded to become the new southern feeder road," Cr Hamling said.
"There will be machinery noise and temporary disruption to local traffic."
The latest $14.7 million stage of the Southern Feeder road is funded by:
- Orange City Council ($4.6 million)
- NSW Government's Resources for Regions program ($4.5 million)
- Australian Government's Heavy Vehicle Safety & Productivity Program and the Local Roads & Community Infrastructure Program ($5.5 million)
Cr Hamling said the extended new road will lead to changes in the way traffic moves around Orange by giving local residents more options for commuting.
"When the northern bypass opened ten years ago, it took highway traffic out of the main street of Orange, but it also gave more options for local traffic for residents moving around the city," Cr Hamling said.
"The key role of the southern feeder road is to build new transport connections with our health precinct and the Leewood industrial area, but there'll also be benefits for new housing developments areas.
"The Shiralee housing area will only get bigger in future with 1700 housing lots set to be built on in the coming decades. Woodward Street residents have already noticed extra traffic with cars coming to and from Shiralee.
"Once this leg of the new southern feeder is added, Shiralee traffic will have convenient extra options to connect with Forest Road and the Mitchell Highway on the eastern entrance to town rather than Woodward Street."
