NEXT month, residents will finally see construction happening at a contentious intersection in West Bathurst.
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Bathurst Regional Council's director of Engineering Services, Darren Sturgiss, provided an update on the Mitre, Suttor and Lambert street roundabout project at Wednesday night's policy committee meeting.
He said talks with the contractor had progressed and construction was expected to be well under way in December.
Council has also commenced a letterbox drop of information to around 1000 residents in the area.
The news has been welcomed by campaigners Kent and Dianne McNab, who have wanted to see the intersection near Assumption School upgraded for more than 20 years.
The couple, who embarked on a high-profile campaign in November of 2016, said it was a win for people power after "three years of guts and determination".
"We are pleased to see in the long run that council has listened to the people of Bathurst," Mrs McNab said.
Among the councillors pushing for the roundabout is councillor Alex Christian, who has also welcomed the news that construction will start next month.
He hopes council will take full advantage of the summer school holidays, ensuring minimal disruption to people who use the intersection daily, and looks forward to the first sod being turned.
"It's going to be tremendous. This is something council has argued over and done little about for more than 20 years," Cr Christian said.
"I can't wait for shovels to start digging."
The intersection is expected to remain open for most of the construction phase, minimising disruption to motorists and businesses.
It will be carried out in three stages, which will be:
- Stage one: Car park construction adjacent to the shops and water main works at the rear of the shops. The intersection will remain open under traffic control. Access between Coral Way and Suttor Street will be closed for the duration of the project.
- Stage two: Water main works at the intersection. The intersection will remain open under traffic control. Stages one and two are expected to take approximately eight weeks.
- Stage three: Road realignment and service relocation. Suttor and Mitre Streets will remain open under traffic control. Lambert Street will be fully closed to traffic. This is scheduled to occur during school holidays to minimise impact to traffic. This stage is expected to take approximately four weeks.
As the project progresses the subsequent stages will be detailed on the Bathurst YourSay website. Regular project updates will be published on the YourSay Bathurst website where you can also subscribe to receive a newsletter with the latest information.
Mr and Mrs McNab said they were pleased that pedestrians refuges and the bigger car park were part of the works.
"It will help businesses, the taxis, the people that come here for schools and the parks," Mr McNab said of the car park.
Residents who want to stay up to date on the project can get email alerts via the YourSay Bathurst website.
Council has also scheduled information sessions for Thursday, November 14 to answer any question people may have.
They can drop in any time between 12pm and 2pm at the Upstairs Startup Hub in Russell Street, or between 2.30pm and 4.30pm at the scout hall in Suttor Street.
