Crowds gathered for the official opening of the Boundary Road extension

The road is now open to motorists, and with plenty of guests on hand to see the unveiling after 10 years of hard work, Dubbo Regional Council mayor Matthew Dickerson said the moment was "fantastic".

"Once we opened the gates people were streaming on through, one person got booked already, we did worry since it was a nice, straight road, that people might use to speed on and we got our answer within the hour," Cr Dickerson said.

He said the completion of this main arterial road will provide key transport benefits for the whole community.

"Data collected over the years demonstrates that a lot of commuters travel East for a variety of reasons, school drop off and pickups, shopping, work plus may other things," he said.

"Dubbo Regional Council have invested over $4.7 million into this key project that will create a strategic link for many commuters but particularly for those travelling between South Dubbo and the Sheraton Road School precinct."

The project was delayed for several reasons including COVID staffing shortages, underground services not being where they were meant to and general construction delays.

"The area can now be fed from two directions, when it is only being fed by one direction that makes it more congested, so I think now this will fix the general traffic around that area as well as the safety issues," he said.

Cr Dickerson said that Dubbo Council is "very good" at long term strategic planning and having a vision and working to realise it.

"Previously when I was mayor in 2012 Council approved the Dubbo Transportation Strategy to the year 2045 and this connectivity plan was on that strategy," he said.

Cr Dickerson said having the time to approach other levels of government for funding, allowed them to be able to fix the problem of congestion before it got too bad.

"Councillors of the day, staff and the director of technical services at the time who is now retired were at the opening, which was nice mark of respect to him and former mayor Allan Smith was there and this was recognition that 10 years of work has gone into today," he said.

"It showed the seven councillors who attended today that the decisions we make today might not come to fruition for three, five, 10, 20 years but we have to have a vision and make Dubbo a better place when we leave compared to where we started."

According to Cr Dickerson, the completion of the extension of Boundary Road to Sheraton Road forms a critical piece of Council's longer term strategy to develop a Southern distributor road corridor, which will link the Mitchell Highway and Blueridge Business Park with Dubbo's Central Business District.

The significant infrastructure project received $4 million in funding from the NSW Government's Restart NSW Housing Acceleration Fund.

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders commended everyone involved in the project, which is a key aspect of council's long-term transport management strategy.

"It was fantastic to be able to officially open this key link between Wheelers Lane and Sheraton Road. This project has been in council's long-term strategic plan for a decade and it's going to be a real game-changer for the growth of Dubbo's south-east," he said.

"It was a bit disappointing not to be able to attend in person, but I think we're all pretty used to working remotely by now, and we're very lucky to have access to the technology that makes it possible!

"Council staff have done a terrific job getting this project over the finish line and I know the road will make a huge difference for motorists moving in and through Dubbo. Not only will the school run be easier for the thousands of local families accessing schools along Sheraton Road - reducing congestion on Cobra Street - the Boundary Road extension also unlocks future residential and business development potential in Dubbo's south-east."

Mr Saunders said the region is growing at a rate of knots and there's a desperate need for more housing to accommodate the many people keen to call Dubbo home.

"This project will make a real, tangible difference on the roads for thousands of local families, making it easier and safer to get around," he said.

Stage two of Boundary Road is a 1.2 kilometre, two lane, asphalted and fully kerbed extension. The stretch of road includes integrated bike lanes, street lighting and underground electricity, telecommunications, sewer and stormwater infrastructure as well as a footpath on the southern side.

DRC's Manager Infrastructure Strategy and Design, Chris Godfrey said it was important to future-proof the city for future developments.

"There were significant delays associated with this project, however it was essential that Council and the utility providers were proactive with additional requirements for servicing to ensure we have the appropriate infrastructure to facilitate both residential and commercial developments for decades to come," he said.

"There have been significant development announcements in recent years in relation to South East Dubbo. Some large commercial developments such as the land swap between Council and the RSL have meant we need increased utility service capacity in the South East to accommodate for the increasing growth."

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