Transport for NSW to add Wagga road to Live Traffic next year as residents struggle to navigate through road closures, detours

The Murrumbidgee River's sustained flooding has already shut state highways and Wagga City Council roads including the Newell, and Sturt Highways.

The Olympic Highway also remains shut to traffic between Wagga and Tabletop.

Key local thoroughfares like Eunony Bridge Road, Hammond Avenue, Hampden Avenue have also closed numerous times.

The number of roads which are currently, or have recently been closed, along with a limited amount of signs and workers has also added to the uncertainty.

Tumut resident Sue Swann was on her way to Wagga Base Hospital on Friday, November 4, for a medical procedure when she and her husband experienced the confusion first hand.

After observing a sign on the Hume Highway stating the Sturt Highway was closed in Wagga, they encountered no more signage during their journey.

It took them at least half an hour to detour through Forest Hill and Kooringal, all without any signs pointing them the right way.

"On the way back it was just as confusing. In fact it was worse, because the water had risen," she said.

"My concern is that there was not adequate planning, there was not adequate control of the traffic on a major highway."

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The closed section of the Sturt Highway is locally named Hammond Avenue, but is still under state government jurisdiction.

Wagga City Council's director of infrastructure services Warren Faulkner confirmed Transport for NSW are the designated authority for the highway, but had been contacted by them to assist with managing the closure.

"Council does work collaboratively with Transport for NSW at their request," he said.

"In this instance, Transport for NSW requested council's assistance on Friday morning to erect the detour signs along the detour route."

But according to a spokesperson for Transport for NSW, these were not put in place until Friday evening due to supply shortages and the number of roads closed at the time.

"The route was updated immediately on Live Traffic as road closures were implemented," the spokesperson said.

"Following the implementation of these closures, Transport for NSW updated road signage as quickly as possible."

But Mrs Swann said by that time, there would have already been "hundreds" of vehicles left with no clear detour around the major road.

"There was literally hundreds of vehicles all over the place," she said.

"Cars, trucks, vans, people who were towing boats, cars with canoes on the top, you name it."

Mr Faulkner said some questions surrounding road closures will be centralised when Wagga's roads are added to Transport for NSW's Live Traffic system.

"Transport for NSW across the state have trialled 22 councils in the northern half of the state over the last six months for access to live traffic and are rolling that out to them now," he said.

"We've been nominated in the next round for that, and we're currently meeting and talking with Transport for NSW to look to try and get us on to that system, probably by February or March next year."

After she arrived home, Mrs Swann called multiple agencies to try and inform those in charge of the situation, but she said she could not find the correct organisation.

"Each particular group were not clued up about who did what," she said.

"It's a matter of coordination and resources and there was clearly not enough planning."

The Transport for NSW spokesperson said they continued to work collaboratively with councils, NSW Police, SES and other agencies during emergency events.

For the latest traffic information, the spokesperson directed motorists to the Live Traffic app or website.

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