Port Macquarie-Hastings Council staff representatives and councillors inspected the upgraded 450 metre section of Hastings River Drive between Aston Street and Park Street on Wednesday.

A ribbon was cut to mark the occasion.

The new-look road will open to traffic on Thursday afternoon.

Port Macquarie-Hastings mayor Peter Besseling said the upgrade was fantastic and had benefits for motorists, people on bikes, and importantly, pedestrians and those with mobility issues.

“Anyone who tried to get out of Findlay Avenue onto Hastings River Drive and turn right would appreciate the new roundabout,” he said.

He said people with mobility issues would appreciate the improvements to the footpath network and people using the sports fields would appreciate the safety upgrades.

Detours have been in place during the work.

Cr Besseling said he would raise with council’s general manager Craig Swift-McNair about where the roads that carried the majority of the detoured traffic sat within the road hierarchy and whether the detoured traffic had any material impact on where they sat within that hierarchy.

The mayor said these other roads needed to be looked at in the context of the entire road network.

He said the construction approach to detour the entire upgrade section saved significant ratepayer dollars.

The Hastings River Drive upgrade started in October 2015 with the first stage from the Gordon Street traffic lights through to the Park Street roundabout and extending to Buller Street traffic lights.

The second stage upgrade included dual lanes between Gordon Street to Aston Street, a roundabout at Findlay Avenue, road cycleways, shared footpaths and pedestrian refuges at three points, a pedestrian and cycle refuge at Park Street, better lighting, new bus stops and improved drainage.

The $6 million project came in on time and on budget.

The road averages 14,000 vehicle movements a day.

Council’s infrastructure and asset management director Jeffery Sharp said this was a very important upgrade which should be well received.

He said the second stage work complemented the initial stage.

The council’s contractor, Ditchfield, delivered the upgrade project.