A petition calling for the Troy Bridge to be raised to create a Dubbo bypass was launched by prominent opponents of the proposed $140 million River Street bridge on Friday.
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They want NSW parliamentarians to abandon plans for the new river crossing and petition organiser Katrina McLachlain hopes 20,000 people will sign the document.
"It [the proposed River Street bridge] will not reduce traffic congestion, it will bring traffic all through Dubbo," she claimed.
"It will not flood-proof the Newell Highway."
Ms McLachlain and supporters of the petition believe the River Street bridge is a waste of taxpayers money and barrier to a bypass being built.
Dubbo Regional Council traffic committee member John Morris said the government needs to go back to the drawing board to find a better solution to deal with flooding and traffic congestion issues.
"Dubbo City Council gave the state government six options and the River Street bridge was the best option," the former Australian Truckies Association president said.
"There are more than six options and it's not too late [to consider alternative options the former council never presented to RMS]."
Nationals member-elect for Dubbo Dugald Saunders was elected promising to build a River Street bridge and said an outer bypass option would only cater to 10 per cent of vehicles "whilst local flooding and east west congestion would remain an issue".
Surveys show 90 per cent of vehicles and about 77 per cent of heavy vehicles need to travel into Dubbo, Mr Saunders said.
"I want to be clear, the River Street option and a ring road or bypass are two separate projects and the River Street option should not be considered as an alternative for a ring road or bypass," he said.
"Traffic flow will change for the better [under the River Street option]."
"There are plans for more community consultation to be conducted by the RMS in coming months to ensure all issues are taken into account."
