Dozens of school kids have left a lasting mark on a massive bridge project.
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About 20 students from five Dubbo schools had the opportunity to leave handprints on the huge stormwater pipes being installed as part of the New Dubbo Bridge project.
Transport for NSW regional director west Alistair Lunn said the painting session on Thursday, May 9, was the first of many and a celebration of Aboriginal culture.
"We see this as a really good way of getting school children really engaged in a major piece of infrastructure that we're building here in Dubbo," he said.
"To recognise the heritage of our First Nations people in Dubbo, the kids used Aboriginal paint colours of red, yellow and black to imprint handprints on the outside of the pipe creating a colourful mural."
The stormwater pipes, which are 1.8 metres in diameter, will soon be installed beneath the new Newell Highway alignment on the western side of the Macquarie River.
They will ultimately play a role in ensuring the new road alignment remains free of flooding.
The pipes will be buried underground, meaning the student's handprints will forever be preserved as part of the project.
"The painting will be a timepiece of legacy for the children... when they're driving through the area as older individuals with their families they'll be able to say, 'my hands are under there'," Mr Lunn said.
"It was also an opportunity for them to understand what happens on these massive construction projects and this project prides itself on its large number of local people employed on the project.
"We want to breed the next load of road engineers, road designers, road builders and plant operators, which is fantastic."
The May 9 event was the first in a planned series, which will also invite other schools and Aboriginal groups to leave their mark.
Mr Lunn said it was great to see so much enthusiasm from the first cohort of students.
"We'd love to do more of these and connect with more school children and other parts of the community as well," he said.
The New Dubbo Bridge is a joint Australian Government and NSW Government project.
The government hopes it will improve traffic efficiency, reduce congestion for locals, visitors and the freight industry and improve access across the Macquarie River floodplain during extreme weather events.
