Albury Council confirmed this week the redevelopment of the Elizabeth Mitchell, Thurgoona drives intersection has been completed and is only formal approval from Transport for NSW to being fully operational

The re-opening is scheduled for May 25..

"Once that approval is granted, the new traffic lights will be switched on and a new era will begin for the thousands of motorists who pass through the intersection every day," Albury Council chief executive Frank Zaknich said.

"Although the implementation of traffic signals caused some debate within the community, transport engineers say the lights will make a crucial difference for motorists, especially at those peak times in the mornings and afternoons during the busy work and school runs.

"The traffic lights will help to ease the congestion that has sometimes plagued motorists in the past by efficiently funnelling traffic through all points of the crossing and providing easier access to the Hume Freeway."

The decision to install traffic lights ahead of a dual lane roundabout fix split the council with the decision to go with traffic lights decided on the casting vote of acting mayor Amanda Cohn in May 2019.

Works didn't start until June last year.

IN OTHER NEWS

Thurgoona Community Action Group secretary Sally Hendy said the re-opening cannot come soon enough, but feared it would not provide the total solution to high traffic volumes in the growth corridor area.

"The fact people are still dropping kids off at schools is questionable," she said.

"There should be better public transport instead of parents having to feel the need to drive their children to and from school.

"The lights might make the intersection a bit better, but my concern is the amount of traffic that gets banked up trying to access the freeway in the mornings and afternoons.

"If they had better designed roundabouts it could ease some of the problems, but there is no doubt there has been a lot of people avoiding that intersections at school times."

One business owner in Thurgoona told The Border Mail he had travelled from Albury to Thurgoona via Borella Road to avoid the intersection.

Mr Zaknich said more road improvements were on council's radar including the Thurgoona Link Road.

"To be developed in five stages over five years from 2022, the link road will be widened to two lanes in 15 to 20 years' time."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: