ALBURY'S deputy mayor Amanda Cohn has conceded traffic snarls will still exist in Thurgoona post completion of a major intersection in the growth corridor.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Work is underway on a $3.4 million upgrade of Elizabeth Mitchell Drive-Thurgoona Drive intersection.
The existing roundabout will be replaced by traffic lights and left-turn slip lanes on the Thurgoona Drive approaches created.
Construction is expected to take 19 weeks.
"There is no silver bullet to solving (traffic) congestion in Albury," she said.
"Obviously having a bottleneck at the crossing to the freeway is something one intersection can't solve.
"But we know this intersection is a particular sticking point that creates a lot of congestion.
"Upgrading to lights, having a double lane approach from all four directions to the intersection and a slip lanes as well is going to make a significant difference to congestion now and for 20-plus years into the future."
But the intersection design allows for future duplication of all four feeder roads.
It is an initial step in diverting more motorists to access the freeway at Davey Road which has federal and state government funding for an upgrade to a full-diamond interchange.
"We are going to do as much as possible by closing only parts of the intersection so traffic can still flow (during the works)," Cr Cohn said.
"It is pretty clear congestion is a problem at this intersection and a few options were considered.
"Lights were really the best long-term option.
"A double-lane roundabout would have cost us a similar amount to build, but had an estimated useful life of around 12 years, after which time we would have had to upgrade to lights.
"The community doesn't want us to be reacting to the problems now."
Excell Gray Bruni is building the new intersection.
The Thurgoona-Wirlinga growth corridor is forecast to almost double Albury's existing population in next 50 years.