It comes as Wagga mayor Rod Kendall warned the main arterial may have reached its capacity, even before the Bomen freight hub is built and heavy haulage uses the route as a de facto bypass of the city. 

Estella resident James Whiteley, who crosses the bridge twice a day, urged the NSW government to begin planning extra lanes.

“Boorooma, Estella and Estella Rise are exploding and it makes sense to duplicate the bridge sooner rather than later,” Mr Whiteley said.

“Trucks will only slow things down even more.

“When bikes cross the bridge traffic slows right down, because the bridge isn’t wide enough for cars to overtake them safely.”

Estella Progress Association president Graham Cotter accepted a duplication would take time, but argued that added impetus to begin planning.

“Gobba Bridge is already struggling in the mornings and afternoons and if there’s ever a tractor crossing or an accident all the traffic is held up,” Mr Cotter said.

“The duplication doesn't need to be built tomorrow, but it's time to start planning.”

Mr Cotter added Olympic Highway exits at the northern end of the bridge also needed upgrading to keep residents safe. 

“The intersection of Old Narrandera Road and the Olympic Way is not adequate and if more trucks from Bomen share the road, it will become dangerous,” he said.

Wagga MP Daryl Maguire dismissed the urgency of construction, urging motorists to wait for the outcome of a $100,000 Roads and Maritime Service study into a Wagga bypass due later this year. 

“Let's not get too excited about bridges at crisis point, let's wait for the study and get on with the job of planning for the city's growth,” Mr Maguire said.

“Before we go getting too excited about duplicating the bridge, we need studies to tell us exactly what's going to happen with Bomen traffic and what is possible in regards to circumnavigating the city.”