Tamworth road closures: SES downgraded Peel River flood on Thursday as Calala access roads and river CBD crossings open

The last flood bulletin from State Emergency Services (SES) on Thursday morning indicates the Peel River and Goonoo Goonoo Creek have now fallen below the minor flood water level.

Main arterial roads like Jewry Street and Scott Road have reopened to traffic, after flooding yesterday caused traffic mayhem when just the one river crossing at Bridge Street was open.

Both access routes to Calala - O'Briens Lane and Calala Lane - are also back open.

The Peel River in the Tamworth CBD has dropped to about 2.9m, after peaking at more than 5m at midday yesterday.

As some excess water is still pooled around town and on some low-lying roads and fields, the SES has warned locals to never drive, walk or ride through floodwater.

Tamworth Regional Council has updated the list of road closures on Thursday morning.

The following roads have reopened:

The following roads have been closed recently or still remain closed:

A FLOOD warning for Tamworth has been downgraded to a minor level overnight as the water level recedes.

State Emergency Services (SES) said minor flooding was still occurring in the Peel River early on Thursday morning.

Authorities said low-lying parts of town could continue to be affected by floodwaters on Thursday, including some roads.

The SES said minor flooding could mean the Jewry Street carpark and nearby playing fields are still be underwater.

It warned that a requirement to close levee gates could cause minor flooding in the Tamworth CBD area if storm water pools and can't escape into the river.

People travelling around Tamworth on Thursday morning have been urged to pay close attention to any warnings and obey all road signs.

Water levels at both Goonoo Goonoo Creek and the Peel River were falling in the early hours of Thursday.

The receding water will reveal what lurks beneath, according to Tamworth Regional Council manager infrastructure and roads Murray Russell.

"We generally get a fair few potholes and ... with a major event like this we have the potential for significant impacts on things like bridges but we won't know until the water recedes and we will be able to do an assessment," he said.

"Often in these large flows you get high velocity and turbulent water which has a tendency to damage infrastructure."

Mr Russell said some local roads could remain closed, even when the water has receded.

"Depending on how the assessment goes once the water goes down we might be seeking assistance with infrastructure ... but we won't know until the bridges and things open," he said.

"We really need to prioritise resources and get the crews to where they need to be."

The list of road closures will be updated shortly.

THE COMMUNITY has been praised for not making "stupid" decisions, after no major rescues were reported in the Tamworth area during flooding on Wednesday.

State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman David Rankine confirmed crews had been busy sandbagging and patching up leaking rooves, but hadn't had to rescue any person from raging floodwater.

A dog was left wet but safe after South Australian SES teams supporting the local flood response pulled off a paw-fect swiftwater rescue and saved the pooch from where it was reportedly trapped in rising water, near Jewry Street.

Mr Rankine said the SES had to perform about half-a-dozen rescues in the Moree area, which is threatened by major flooding, in the past day or so.

He said a few "bad apples" had tried to drive through flooded roads and had to be saved from where they became stranded on the roofs of their cars.

He said the communities of western NSW had generally been responding well to all advice and warnings, and should be given credit.

The latest SES bulletin said floodwater was still at a moderate level in Tamworth late on Tuesday afternoon, but the water was subsiding after peaking at 5m about midday.

Several roads across the city are still closed, but Scott Road and Calala Lane are now notably open.

SCOTT Road has reopened, alleviating some traffic pressure from Bridge Street and Goonoo Goonoo Road.

The main road was closed early on Wednesday morning due to flooding, but was reopened to the public about 4pm.

Tamworth Regional Council staff warned users to be cautious when driving on Scott Road, as the surface was still wet.

Jewry Street remained closed.

RUBBISH services in parts of Tamworth have been delayed until tomorrow morning as road closures continue to cause traffic delays across the city.

Tamworth Regional Council confirmed Cleanaway decided to stop rubbish collection services for the rest of Wednesday.

The call was made due to flooding and road closures in the Calala area, where Calala Lane has reopened but O'Briens Lane remains closed.

Services will start at 3am on Thursday to catch up on the missed collections, and only red bins will be collected.

Council has asked anyone who had put their green bins out for collection to please take them back in and wait until the next date.

Tamworth Buslines has advised parents and carers that flooding and road closures across town could delay bus routes this afternoon.

"We will run as close as possible to normal services, however we are expecting they will run late due to traffic and road closures," a statement said.

"If you normally meet your child at the bus stop, please wait at the stop, the bus will run the normal route, but most likely will be late."

Several main roads remained closed across the city after the Peel River surged to a moderate flood level on Wednesday.

Scott Road and Jewry Street remained closed to traffic at the latest update, but Bridge Street is still open.

A full list of closures is available below.

CALALA Lane has reopened to the public, but council has warned users it may be slippery and there could be delays and debris over the road.

It means Calala is not cut off from the city anymore, but O'Briens Lane is still closed between the northern Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School gate and the Nundle Road roundabout.

The flood in Tamworth was expected to peak at midday at more than 5m, and Tamworth Regional Council staff are out and about assessing roads and damage.

Two additional roads have been closed due to flooding, as at the latest update at 1pm.

Ebsworth Street and Nundle Road at Dungowan have been shut off to traffic.

Duri-Dungowan Road has reopened at the New England Highway end only, but there is still some water over the road and some debris, so drivers should travel with caution.

All other local roads reported to be closed earlier on Tuesday will remain closed for now.

THE PEEL River is set to peak in Tamworth at midday on Wednesday as floodwaters flow outside the banks and lap at local roads.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has predicted the water level to reach the moderate flood level of 5.2m at midday on Wednesday in the Tamworth CBD.

The SES has urged locals to steer clear of the the growing list of closed roads across the city.

Bridge Street remained open to traffic at the latest update from Tamworth Regional Council, but main roads like Jewry Street, Scott Road and Calala Lane were still closed.

Traffic is heavy on Goonoo Goonoo Road and council has asked people to be cautious when driving with the floodwater rising.

THE ever-increasing list of closed roads has grown again, with Tamworth Regional Council adding two new streets that have been deemed unsafe to drive through.

Kia Ora Lane and O'Briens Lane are the latest added to the list.

That means the two routes out of Calala, both Calala Lane and O'Briens Lane, have now closed.

The bridge over the Peel River at Bridge Street remains open, but road users are warned traffic is heavy.

Jewry Street and Scott Road - the other two main routes used to cross town - remained closed at the latest update.

Ogunbil Road is closed, but only at the Dungowan end.

Wallamore Road on the Tangaratta Creek causeway one lane is closed and the speed has been reduced to 40km. TRC wants people to avoid this road if possible.

Goonoo Goonoo Road is also reported to have major traffic congestion.

Barry Road and Morrisons Gap Road at Hanging Rock are open for four-wheel-drive vehicles, and council has warned upsers it could be slippery.

ALL CLOSURES:

Bendemeer area

Tamworth area

Somerton

Manilla

Barraba area

CALALA LANE has been closed to all traffic, as floodwaters continue to claim more local roads across Tamworth.

The bridge over the Peel River at Bridge Street remains open as the water levels rise, but both Jewry Street and Scott Road remained closed, according to the Tamworth Regional Council update.

More roads have been closed across the Tamworth area due to flooding:

Council has warned of major traffic congestion at Goonoo Goonoo Road, with locals reporting it could take up to 45 minutes to get to different locations in the CBD.

Locals have also been urged to avoid the Wallamore Road area if possible, with one lane closed to travellers.

All other roads that were closed earlier this morning remained shut at the latest council update on Wednesday morning.

The State Emergency Service (SES) issued another flood bulletin for Tamworth at 9am, warning that moderate flooding was occurring.

The SES has warned that Peel River in Tamworth could peak at 5.6m later this morning.

Latest river heights:

A MODERATE flood warning has been issued for the Peel River in Tamworth, after the water level rose and burst its banks overnight on Tuesday.

Locals have been warned the water level is still rising.

The water has flooded several local roads, making the commute to work difficult for some Tamworth residents.

Tamworth Regional Council update at 7:30am on Wednesday indicates the following roads are closed in Tamworth and surrounds:

Caution is urged for people travelling on Calala Lane, as Goonoo Goonoo Creek continues to rise.

READ ALSO:

Jewry Street and Scott Road were both closed to all traffic after the Peel River burst its banks on Wednesday morning, but the bridge across Bridge Street was still open on Wednesday morning.

The moderate flood warning for the Peel River at Tamworth was issued by the State Emergency Service (SES) at 2:30am on Wednesday.

"Renewed rises have been occurred following observed rainfall across parts of the Peel River catchment overnight Tuesday into Wednesday," the warning said.

The river is expected to reach the moderate flood level of 4.2m later this morning, after it hit the minor level of 3m at about 3am this morning.

An updated warning is expected later on Wednesday morning.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: