The bypass is open, more than a thousand trucks per day are gone from the centre of town, and now it's time to focus on making Parkes a destination.

That's the message from Parkes Business Chamber president Geoff Rice.

And that's the plan for the next stage of the project, said Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison - $3 million for signage to advertise Parkes.

Mr Rice accompanied Minister Aitchison, State Member for Orange Phil Donato, Parkes Shire Mayor Neil Westcott, Transport for NSW Acting Regional Director West Holly Davies and MLC for Orange and Dubbo Stephen Lawrence last Thursday to mark the opening of the $287.2 million Parkes Bypass, a new 10.5km section of the Newell Highway.

While recognising the significant change in how people will move in and around Parkes and through the Central West, Mr Rice said the business community wants drivers to know they are still here.

"With the support of Council we want to make this a huge benefit for Parkes," he said.

"We want to make sure our businesses don't lose out... That's why we need to follow-up with signage making sure people know we're still here and we're open, and Parkes is beautiful."

Mr Rice admitted businesses questioned the timing of the bypass' opening, being so close to the Easter break and school holidays when so many families hit the open road.

"There are still more things coming," he said.

"There are positives and negatives... We want to make Parkes more of a destination instead of people being pushed through town.

"The bypass is built for trucks, the road through town isn't.

"We really do think it will be a good thing... We've just got to see through the change."

Minister Aitchison said Transport for NSW will work with businesses to help increase visitation to Parkes, with plans for short term messaging signs during the final construction of the bypass' access roads over the next few months, long term signage and easy wayfinding maps in the works.

She believes the bypass will put Parkes on the map as a place people will be interested in and "will want to go in and explore".

"We know Parkes has a very proud tourism history, the Elvis Festival of course is the keystone anchor of that history," she said.

"But there's the Dish and there's all the other aspects of Parkes that makes it such a beautiful place to visit all year-round."

Minister Aitchison said it is important to consider the impact the amount of trucks passing through the centre of Parkes had on not only the town's major events but its day-to-day activities too.

"This is a project that's been on the books for 60 years. This is a project that's been of enormous benefit to the Parkes community," she said, highlighting the 350 jobs it had created during construction.

Mayor Neil Westcott said the bypass represented the next level for Parkes and thanked Transport for NSW for "staying true" to its original vision.

"It's important for them [residents] and it's important for us," he said.

"It's been six years of construction, this started the same time as the SAP [Special Activation Precinct], locals have had to detour and go around their own patch for so long.

"We wanted four key entry points [on the bypass] - a good entry in the south, a good entry in the north and an opportunity to turn in the middle if they missed it, and the Victoria Street bridge to the Christian School and beyond.

"Transport for NSW has accommodated that and we thank them."

The 98-metre-diameter roundabout at the intersection of Condobolin Road is that middle entry, Minister Aitchison describing it as the centrepiece of the bypass which also lays claim to being the Central West’s largest roundabout.

It made its grand debut on 21 November.

Minister Aitchison added that big projects such as these are never perfect from day one and that it had been met with challenges, in the naturally occurring asbestos and the wet weather.

She praised the work crews for their resilience and for "continuing on" during those times.

The Parkes Bypass, built by Georgiou, is jointly funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to increase road safety and freight efficiency.

The entire upgrade to the network is expected to be completed over the coming months and traffic changes on various roads will remain in place for up to three months, including the temporary closure of the former highway in the north and south of Parkes.