One of Orange's busiest roads will receive a major funding boost with the Mitchell Highway to no longer go through the CBD.
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The Northern Distributor Road has been reclassed from a local road to a state road, meaning Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will now take control.
The roughly 13 kilometre stretch of road was opened in 2013 and has been primarily used by freight traffic, taking the burden off Summer Street and Bathurst Road.
Mayor Jason Hamling said it had been a move many years in the making.
"I am very pleased that TfNSW has recognised this road's status in the NSW road network. This is a great result for Orange City Council and local residents," Cr Hamling said.
"This a very important road for the local community, and the transfer is a step that both this and past councils have pushed for over many years.
"For the people of Orange this puts our primary heavy vehicle transport corridor in the hands of a tier of government with the much greater resources needed for ongoing upkeep."
So, what will actually change?
The official handover was March 2 and council has been working with the state government over what the new arrangement will look like.
The biggest practical change will be that the route of the Mitchell Highway will no longer go along Bathurst Road and Summer Street, instead merging into the Northern Distributor which will retain its name.
Council confirmed that TfNSW will now be responsible for central travel lanes, medians, roundabouts, line marking, signage and traffic signals on the Northern Distributor.
Although the highway has changed, council also confirmed that TfNSW will continue to manage Summer Street and Bathurst Road while council will maintain road verges on the distributor.
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