The community will be given the chance to name Dubbo's new bridge. Transport for NSW has partnered with Dubbo Regional Council to name what is colloquially referred to as the River Street bridge. TfNSW will undertake the community consultation and collate the naming suggestions before submitting them to the council to make the final decision. However it needs to meet with the TfNSW guidelines. While any suggestions can be submitted, the council's preferred name for the Dubbo bridge will be a First Nations name "relevant to the location and/or the function of the bridge such as a crossing place or river". There's plenty of time for people to start thinking of great names. "Transport for NSW has started the formal process, which will involve Dubbo Regional Council and interested members of the community, with a time frame for consultation expected to be finalised in the first half of 2024," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said. "Naming major bridges provides a useful navigational reference for motorists and allows the community to recognise and celebrate cultural, historical and social connections in the region." There are five considerations TfNSW makes when considering the name of a bridge, including that it should be supported by the community and the Aboriginal population, if the name is an Aboriginal name. It was Councillor Pam Wells who pushed for the council's preference to be an Indigenous name. She said it brought a "positive flavour" to the bridge after all the negative attention it had received when it was first announced. Work is still continuing on the $220.2 million New Dubbo Bridge. The bridge, which will be 660 metres when completed, aims to reduce traffic congestion in Dubbo, while also providing another Macquarie River crossing during floods. Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure started the first stage of the bridge's construction work in April 2023.