Another $2m for Orange's Southern Feeder Rd

The federal government announced on Friday it will kick another $2 million into road.

Slated to be completed by the end of 2021, the road will stretch from the Mitchell Highway across to Pinnacle Road.

The fourth and final stage will run from Anson Street to Pinnacle Road, through farm land and the old rifle range, covering 2.6km of road.

"Stage 4 of the Southern Feeder Road Project will reduce traffic congestion along some of the busiest streets in Orange," Federal MP for Calare Andrew Gee said.

"In particular it will free up Anson and Summer Streets from a lot of vehicle traffic, creating safer streets for pedestrians and for young children attending the nearby schools."

Mr Gee said the funding injection will result in "more efficient freight movements for our region's agricultural businesses and mining operations, and together with the stage 3 Mitchell Highway to Elsham Avenue works, it will deliver a high quality link to a key industrial estate, the health precinct and the new Shiralee housing area".

Mayor Reg Kidd described the road as "so critical to the development of Orange".

"We've already got this incredible amount of traffic on the Northern Distributor, and now the traffic is increasing on the Southern Feeder Road," he said.

"Every bit of freight going out west comes through Orange, and that includes fuel, fertiliser, groceries, stuff that's going to [department stores].

"And we're looking at a bumper season, and it's interesting the amount of canola and grain that goes to Sydney ports; they're using the Northern Distributor now and they'll be using this."

Ian Greenham, council's director of technical services, said the $2 million in funding from the federal government will "give us the confidence to go out to procurement early in the calendar year".

Mr Greenham said the fourth stage would be done in two portions, with the first from Anson Street to Shiralee Road, and the second from Shiralee Road to Pinnacle Road.

As Mr Gee and Mr Kidd were speaking to the media on Park Road, a truck slowed to speak with the mayor. Was he about to give him a mouthful?

As it happened, no. He just wanted to point out how much he was loving the new road.

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