'No-brainer' to build second roundabout for booming Calala for new The Outlook Tamworth estate

Land for newly developed residential estate, The Outlook Tamworth, is selling fast and shovels are hitting the ground for new stages. Now, a roundabout will be built on Calala Lane to facilitate entrance into the estate.

The project is now a step closer, with Tamworth Regional Council coming to an agreement with the developer on how it will be delivered.

Tamworth mayor Russell Webb told the Leader the need for another roundabout is a "no-brainer".

"With another large estate going in and the forecast increase in traffic in Calala, there will be a need for another roundabout coming onto Calala Lane to help with the traffic flow," he said.

"There's a lot of work still being done on it, but we have agreed to get stuck into it now and let the proponents for that development know that this is what we're going to accept."

The first roundabout at the busy intersection of Calala Lane and Campbell Road was completed in December 2021 after Transport for NSW found the infrastructure was "no longer effective" with increased traffic volumes.

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At the time, the $1.4 million upgrade was slammed by members of the community as "unsafe" and "flawed" due to its close proximity to a pedestrian crossing often used by school children.

However, Cr Webb said he believes the mood has shifted in Calala.

"If you go out there now, you might find one or two people who aren't happy about it, but the rest of Calala is just over the moon, they all tell us it's working really well," he said.

The Outlook roundabout will be located at the entrance to the new estate on Calala Lane, just after the bridge at Goonoo Goonoo Creek.

Council has agreed on a hybrid single lane roundabout with an additional slip lane.

The developer will fund the initial stage of a single lane roundabout and the developer and council will share the cost for the upgrade to the ultimate design.

"Going forward, there will be discussions with engineers and traffic teams to work out how it will be built, and how it's going to be funded," Cr Webb said.

A TRC spokesperson said construction of a roundabout on Calala Lane to facilitate access to the development was a condition of the development application for the estate.

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