The so-called Bomen enabling roads will allow motorists to travel through the industrial area along Dorset Drive and under a new road underpass.

The new access links Bomen Road to Byrnes Road.

Wagga City Council general manager James Bolton said there would be two main advantages of opening the new sections of road. The first was safety, and the second was the development opportunities that would come from having easy access to available land around Bomen.

Thursday’s opening of Dorset Road and underpass means the Dampier Street level crossing can be closed.

“The level crossing passed over the main Sydney to Melbourne railway line,” Mr Bolton said.

"The closure of the road has major benefits for motorists and was a key objective in the delivery of the Bomen enabling roads project, which is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the city’s history.”

The final phases of the $40 million project – connections to the Olympic Highway which will be known as Merino Road, and new access into the Livestock Marketing Centre off Dorset Drive – are due to be completed by the end of October or the beginning of November.

“We look forward to officially opening and celebrating the completion of the Bomen enabling roads project later this year,” Mr Bolton said.

“Once complete, this project will open the way for potential industry development in Wagga, which will continue to strengthen our local economy."

Mr Bolton said planning for the project began in 2010 as part of a long-term strategy and praised councillors’ ongoing commitment to it.

BMD Constructions project manager Mark Gallagher said crews or 40-50 employees worked six days a week on the Bomen project, which included two major roundabouts and three kilometres of road.

Earthworks began in November 2016, with 65,000 tonnes of gravel used in the project.

Mr Bolton said all of the road had been constructed to cater for B-triple and A-double sized trucks.

He said in addition to stimulating economic growth by opening up industrial zoned land in Bomen Business Park, the new road would benefit the potential development of the planned Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RIFL) Hub.

Mr Bolton said council was continuing to talk with US-listed rail company Genesee and Wyoming Australia (GWA) to get the RIFL project up and running.