Truck drivers and other motorists in Griffith will soon have welcome relief, with the planned alternative route now funded to take trucks out of the city centre.
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With a total of $5.9 million given to Griffith City Council by the state government, the money will see the next stages of Griffith Southern Industrial Link in motion.
Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi said the funds will result in the last major component of the Link Road completed and will see freight bottlenecks removed.
“Everyone wins, the community and businesses,” Mayor Dal Broi said.
Member for Murray Austin Evans announced Griffith City Council will receive funding, which comes under the third round of the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Roads program.
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Mr Evans said this is significant investment by the NSW Government in the important stages will improve access and safety on roads close to Griffith and connect Burley Griffin Way and Irrigation Way to the Kidman Way.
“The funding towards the next stages will improve productivity and decrease the number of heavy vehicle trips, which contribute to congestion in the region’s road network,” Mr Evans said.
“Economic growth in rural areas relies on agricultural commodities, industrial products and natural resources being able to move to market efficiency, and this project will deliver on this.”
Cr Dal Broi said he hoped it was the start of many more grants to come, but while it’s Council’s responsibility to maintain roads, this is a great boost.
“Trucks currently pick up rice at Benerembah Street and then go all the way through to Denniliquin, so we have need to have good, safe roads,” Cr Dal Broi said.
“As it stands currently, trucks have to go through Kookora Street, but once this is done, the trucks can turn off on the Kidman Way, so it will eliminate the need to go through the town.”
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He also said plans for the Yoogali Intersection are progressing, with a meeting between the Roads and Maritime Service and council planned for the start of next year.
“Officially we have the funding, and the plan is currently with the Roads and Maritime Services, and we are assuming it will be traffic lights because looking at the intersection it is the only thing that will fit,” Cr Dal Broi said.
“Its a complicated one, but fortunately the $9 million dollars we received should cover it.”
The NSW Government has set aside around $1 billion for regional road and rail projects, to combat the expected 25 per cent increase of freight volume across regional NSW in the next 40 years.