Drivers are risking their lives to get to touch football, McDonald's and North Orange Shopping centre.
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The cause of the chaos is the detour put in place due to roundabout construction work on the Northern Distributor at the end of Hill Street and the start of William Maker Drive.
It leaves vehicles wanting to reach new housing estates in North Orange having to turn off the distributor at Telopea Way.
While the detour - in place since February this year - generally works smoothly, the combination of people returning from work and those heading to touch footy, McDonald's and North Orange Shopping Centre have led to moments of bedlam.
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Wednesday afternoon at 5pm was such an occasion.
Cars were backed up along Anson Street to the roundabout at Roselawn Drive, many two abreast as some waited to turn right on the distributor and others left.
Meanwhile, vehicles on the Northern Distributor heading west to turn on Telopea Way were backed up for hundreds of metres.
In order to allow one vehicle at a time from Anson Street to turn left on to the Northern Distributor and then right at Telopea Way, truck drivers and other motorists lined up on the distributor were leaving a gap in the traffic.
However the gap was not always sufficient for the car turning to have enough room to move into the right lane to turn right, leaving cars in the path of oncoming traffic potentially travelling at 70km/h on the distributor.
Orange City Council said that there is expected to be an easing to congestion at the end of next week, weather permitting, as east bound traffic on the distributor will be able to turn left into William Maker Drive and right into Hill Street.
There is no completion date for traffic heading west wanting to turn into William Maker Drive.
"Despite some unavoidable weather delays, council contractors are making steady progress on the new roundabout on the bypass," said a statement from council.
"Council staff have noticed that because drivers are choosing to use Anson Street as their detour, there's been some congestion at peak times that's led to delays lasting for a couple of minutes at a time.
"Orange City Council is asking drivers to think ahead at peak times and use alternative routes such as Burrendong Way and Leeds Parade, instead of Anson Street, to avoid potential delays."
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