Allan Lisle has been waiting over 30 years for an upgrade to his street, Goonoo Goonoo Road.
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Not only is the one-lane section of the New England Highway dangerous, cars constantly veering off the road have filled his home with decades of dust.
"The dust hazard out here because of the narrow width of the road is immense, our homes are always full of dust. We can't keep control of it. It's extremely unhealthy," he said.
"I've seen several accidents along here, they're tail enders. There's been plenty of near misses, all you have to do is stand out in front of my place [to see them happen]."
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On Friday, Mr Lisle's decades-old wish came true.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce announced on Friday that the Commonwealth would spend $35 million upgrading the road to two lanes.
The New England MP also announced a $96 million new heavy vehicle bypass around Tenterfield, a town which is currently bisected by the major freight route through its high street.
The federal government will also spend $20 million on the notoriously dangerous Port Stevens Cutting, he said.
It would also fund an upgrade of the New England Highway at Wingen, near Scone.
Mr Joyce said the new Goonoo Goonoo Road would be a much more attractive entrance to Tamworth.
"As you drive in you see not only it's on a good road, you see other things we've made investments in," he said.
"Such as the Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence, AELEC [Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre], these are the sort of things that say to people you're coming to a major regional city for Australia and a growing and prosperous area. This road further announces that as people drive in."
The project will cover from Calala Lane to Jack Smyth Drive, with the Calala Lane roundabout intersection set to be converted to lights as part of the upgrade.
The upgrade will add a roundabout at the Craigends Lane intersection, allowing residents to once again turn right. It also includes a median strip to segregate oncoming traffic.
The ageing road is Tamworth's main gateway for traffic to and from Sydney and Newcastle. Over 20,000 vehicles use the road every day.
With some 2000 new homes slated for the Arcadia development to the south of Tamworth, Mr Lisle said the upgrade couldn't come soon enough.
"It will be a great thing for Tamworth to have a good and proper entrance coming in in the first place," he said.
"Any issues of safety will be removed. The [street] lighting will be upgraded so that it is up to a standard. Overall, immense benefits right through.
"The traffic rights on the Calala exit are the greatest idea ever."
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