After more than half a century of waiting, Pitt Town residents are finally seeing progress — not just on paper, but in concrete and steel.

“We are very pleased to see it get to construction stage after 60 years of waiting. It's just wonderful news to see construction commence,” said Chris Bell, President of the Pitt Town Progress Association. “We are about to see the construction commence and even better news that it’s due to be completed by the end of 2026.”

The sense of relief in the community is palpable.

“We sure will. We will surely be celebrating. There will most certainly be a celebration,” Mr Bell added.

A construction contract has now been awarded for the long-promised $100 million Pitt Town bypass, with work on the 950-metre route expected to begin in the coming months. The project will be built by Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure and is expected to open to traffic in late 2026.

Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, said the announcement marked a major step forward for a community that has waited far too long.

“I welcome the selection of a builder which is a significant milestone for the Pitt Town community and the Pitt Town Bypass project,” Ms Templeman said.

“Having advocated for many years alongside the Pitt Town Progress Association for the Bypass, with promises but little progress, I can say the Minns government has made a huge difference, committing and then delivering the funding needed to get this project moving.”

The bypass will extend Pitt Town Road past Bathurst Street onto Cattai Road, east of Eldon Street, and include two new roundabouts and a bridge over Hortons Creek. Designed to reduce traffic in the town centre, it will provide an alternative route for the more than 10,000 vehicles — including up to 1,000 trucks - that currently pass through the narrow main street each day.

“This project will make a huge difference not only to road safety and congestion but also to the amenity of the town and the quality of life for locals,” Ms Templeman said.

Pitt Town has been grappling with growing traffic volumes for decades, particularly from trucks travelling to and from sand quarries in the nearby Hills district. Despite discussions about a bypass beginning in the 1960s, the project has faced multiple delays and funding setbacks over the years.

The new road will improve travel times between Windsor and Wisemans Ferry, reduce congestion, and enhance flood resilience. It also includes new bridge crossings, a roundabout at Eldon Street and Old Pitt Town Road, another at Pitt Town Road/Bathurst Street and Glebe Road, and a partial closure of Cattai Road to maintain access to Buckingham Street.

For locals like Chris Bell, who have long carried the burden of advocacy and lived with the daily impacts of through-traffic, the announcement feels like a long-awaited turning point.

This time, it’s not just another promise. This time, the diggers are coming.