A CRUCIAL step in getting a roundabout at the intersection of Mitre, Suttor and Lambert streets is about to be taken.
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On Wednesday night, councillors will consider the tenders submitted for the construction of the project and award the contract to a suitable company.
The news has been welcomed by the most vocal roundabout supporters, Kent and Dianne McNab, the people behind the community campaign for action.
The couple was thankful to both councillors and the community for the important safety upgrade in an area they refer to as the West Bathurst education hub.
"Thank you to the people of Bathurst who have encouraged and supported us throughout the campaign," they said.
"They have continued to come to us every day with their concerns about the danger of the current intersection and the necessity for a roundabout. The main questions are always 'When is it starting?' and 'When will it be finished?'.
"Even [on Monday] a well-known Bathurstian said to me that "someone will be killed at that intersection if it is not fixed'."
Although it was an accident near the Assumption School on November 25 that prompted the McNabs to start their very public campaign, improving safety at the roundabout has been on their minds for decades.
Mr McNab said he was encouraged by former mayor Ian Macintosh, who died in 2012, to pursue it and thanked him for "inspiring" him to keep fighting.
Tenders for the roundabout project are set to be considered by councillors in the confidential section at the end of Wednesday night's council meeting, but a separate report on the intersection is up for discussion during the public portion of the meeting.
The report, by council's director of Engineering Services, details how council plans to communicate the project's progress to residents.
Council has already liaised with schools and businesses, as well as spoken with other organisations that will be affected.
A page launched on the YourSay Bathurst website in July to provide details to the community and allow them to sign up for updates.
Once the timeline for the works is finalised, council will hold two drop-in information sessions to the community and coordinate a letterbox drop.
Mr Sturgiss' report said the project will be "complex and time-consuming", which was why council wanted to keep the community informed.
Mr and Mrs McNab encouraged people to take advantage of the YourSay website and to ultimately be patient during construction.
"We are all prepared for the inconvenience which will occur during construction work, but it will be worth the result," they said. "That is to provide a safer and more free-flowing intersection for all."