Dunns Road to re-open early 2024

Published: 21 Dec 2023 10:54am

Dunns Road is expected to open to through traffic at the completion of the roundabout being installed at the Holbrook Road and Dunns Road intersection.

Council has made the decision to keep Dunns Road closed during the construction of the roundabout due to detours that would see traffic passing through residential streets.

Director Strategy & Projects Phil McMurray said the safety of residents is in mind.

“We expect, when Dunns Road re-opens, the traffic will more than double what it used to be,” Mr McMurray said.

“If we opened it now, while the roundabout was still under construction, this traffic would be diverted away from the Dunns Road and Holbrook Road intersection, and pass through residential streets, with Currawang Drive and Mirbelia Drive ‘bearing the brunt’ of the traffic.

“After having to place a hard-closure on Dunns Road in August due to motorists blatantly ignoring signage and driving through the construction site, we are not confident that all motorists will take care whilst driving through the detour streets.

“For this reason, we decided to keep Dunns Road closed until the roundabout is complete.”

Originally the Holbrook Road intersection was to be closed to traffic from Dunns Road (western side) and Lloyd Road (eastern side) from mid-November, however the contractor resolved to keep it open under traffic control while undertaking preparation works.

It is now expected contractors will close the intersection to eastern and western traffic from mid-January when they return to work after the Christmas shut-down period.

Motorists travelling on Holbrook Road will continue to be able to pass through the intersection under traffic control during the construction phase, with the roundabout to be constructed in halves.

The 3.3 kilometre section of Dunns Road between Kunzea Place and the Olympic Highway is now complete, with stabilisation, asphalt seals and line marking in place.

The upgrade of the intersection with the Olympic Highway is also complete, which has included the installation of a major drain culvert, realignment of the road, turning lanes on the highway, and lighting installed.

The conclusion of these works means that once the roundabout at the Holbrook Road intersection is complete, Dunns Road will be able to be re-opened to through traffic.

The project is funded by the Australian Government ($5.8 million) and Wagga Wagga City Council ($2.5 million).