Kooringal's crumbly, pothole-ridden main road is due for a makeover, with the government announcing a $3.6 million cash splash for Lake Albert Road.
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The money will go towards replacing the damaged kerb and guttering, as well as an entirely new surface for the road itself.
The main road has cracked and been resealed in places over the years, but it will soon be removed and given a complete resurfacing treatment.
The news came to the immense relief of Ron Oakman, who has lived next to the dilapidated stretch of road for about 50 years.
"On the edge here it's all cracking up, so it definitely needs doing," Mr Oakman said.
"The whole road needs doing anyhow, so the sooner the better."
Lake Albert Road is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Wagga.
The road connects the outer suburbs with the central business district and is also a busy route for trucks and freight vehicles carrying goods in and out of town.
Wagga-based MLC Wes Fang said it was one of the most important roads in Wagga, and that its upgrade would benefit commuters greatly.
"Lake Albert Road is a vital arterial road for Wagga Wagga residents which will only see more traffic into the future," Mr Fang said.
"It is pleasing to see the acceleration of its rehabilitation as the city continues to grow.
"This funding is a clear example of the three levels of government working together to achieve positive results for our local community."
In other news:
The Lake Albert Road upgrade will be jointly funded by all three levels of government, with the federal government adding an additional $191 million to top up the NSW government's Fixing Local Roads Program.
From that pool of funding, $3.6 million is going towards Wagga City Council, which will be in charge of fixing Lake Albert Road.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack said the extra funding was expedited in response to the coronavirus, with "shovel-ready" projects needed to stem the stream of job losses.
Mr McCormack said he estimated it would create about 3500 jobs in regional NSW, with about $382 million of joint funding ready to be allocated within 12 months.
"This funding will deliver critical infrastructure projects right across the country to help keep construction businesses running and people in jobs," Mr McCormack said.
"This is part of our $100 billion, 10-year infrastructure pipeline, which is laying the foundations of a financial bridge to recovery on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis."
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
