Orange City Council infrastructure committee chair and councillor Glenn Taylor said traffic in Woodward Street was being channelled into two lanes on the eastern side of the road while the roundabout was built on the western side.

“Now the western half of the roundabout has been completed, so the construction site will switch to the eastern half of the intersection,” he said.

“The big difference is that access to that end of Moulder Street will have to be completely closed at the Woodward Street intersection.”

Drivers in Woodward Street will not be able to turn into Moulder, while drivers in Moulder Street will be stopped by detour signs at Sampson Street.

Letterbox drops have gone out to residents and staff have talked face-to-face with businesses, which will open as usual.

Cr Taylor recognised there would be inconvenience.

“But we’re asking for their patience in the interests of the long term value of getting this new roundabout built,” he said.

“Regular users of that intersection know how long you can sit in Moulder Street waiting for a break in the Woodward Street traffic, that’s why this corner has attracted black spot funding.

“Once the roundabout is finished, that’s going to do a lot to ease traffic flow in Moulder Street at that intersection.”

The work will take four to five weeks, weather permitting.