A proposed bridge for south Dubbo would ease congestion for motorists crossing the river, says councillor Kevin Parker.
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The NSW government provided $100,000 for Dubbo Regional Council to investigate a new bridge for Dubbo.
The three options for the bridge have been proposed so far: Minore Road to South Street/Tamworth Street, Minore Road to Sandy Beach Road/Bligh Street or Yuille Court to Tamworth Street/South Street.
While other options are still being considered and the cost has yet to be determined, mayor Ben Shields said his preferred crossing was Minore Road to Sandy Beach/Bligh Street.
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"We do know that Whylandra Street, especially around that Hungry Jacks roundabout, gets congested all the time. This would be another access point for the people of south-west Dubbo, that's the Delroy Park area, to get into the CBD," he said.
Cr Parker said the bridge would greatly benefit Dubbo.
"The bridge in south would give the traffic an additional option of crossing the river and would probably ease congestion," he said.
"Another important factor of the proposal is the growth that is evident in the south area, Kintyre, Minore Road and Delroy Park area. Those who work across the river and those who live this side of the river can have the choice of which way they want to travel."
The mayor said council recognised the bridge was the "best way forward" to ease traffic in west Dubbo.
"It's not designed to throw a heap of cars and traffic from west Dubbo into residential south Dubbo. This bridge is designed to take workers and families and people who live in south-west Dubbo and to get them to work which is largely the CBD and north Dubbo," he said.
The costs associated with each bridge option will be determined later in the week.
Work on the business case for the bridge is then expected to start in January 2020. The community consultation will be done in April and May, and the investigation into the project is expected to be completed in June.
Cr Shields said council was developing a report on the bridge for the NSW government to assist council in funding the bridge once a corridor had been chosen.
At the time the $100,000 grant was announced, Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the government wanted to ensure it was working with the community to build infrastructure to support Dubbo's growth.
It's part of a $195 million government program to make roads safer, reduce travel times and improve connectivity.