Full steam ahead for Fixing Country Bridges

Published on 10 June 2022

Council has received funding for the demolition and replacement of a total of 31 timber bridges with the construction of stronger, safer and more durable concrete bridges as part of the Fixing Country Bridges Program administered by Transport for NSW.

Tenders for 16 of these bridge projects have been endorsed by Clarence Valley Council this year total $19.35m and include: 
 

• Five (5) replacement bridges at Winters Bridge (Jackadgery), Barretts Creek Bridge (Coaldale), Dundoo Floodway Bridge (Kungala), Billys Creek Bridge (Dundurrabin) and Wintervale Creek Bridge (Dalmorton) to be awarded across two Design and Construct contract packages. 
• Seven (7) replacement bridges at Bostock Road Bridge (Tucabia), Bridge No.3 Marengo Road (Hernani), Fifteen Mile Swamp (Coutts Crossing) and Mitchell Road Bridge No.1, No.2 and No.3 (Pillar Valley) to be awarded under a Construct-Only contract package
• Four (4) replacement bridges (Design & Construct) at Coutts No 1 bridge, Coutts No 2 Bridge, Koukandowie Creek Bridge and Skinners Swamp Bridge (all located on Armidale Road)

Work is due to start on Coutts Crossing Bridge No.1 and No.2 in early June and will take approximately five months to complete. A temporary side road will be installed to minimise traffic disruptions.

Council now has until 30 April 2023 to start construction on each of its 31 bridges under the first round of the program and 30 April 2024 to open to traffic. All bridges under the program will be completed over the next two to three years.

Mayor Ian Tiley said that Council was very pleased to receive funding to enable a further reduction of the number of timber bridges across the Council area.

“Receiving these recent grants is a significant step forward in reducing and eventually eliminating old, end of useful life bridges in the Clarence Valley. While being grateful for the latest bridge replacement grants Council still has a long way to go under the timber bridge replacement program,” Cr Tiley said.

To date, five bridges have already been completed under the program and opened to traffic. These include Chevalleys Bridge on Coaldale Road and Clouds Creek bridge, which was co-funded through the Fixing Country Bridges and Natural Disaster Essential Public Asset Restoration programs after the bridge was severely damaged in the 2019 bushfires.

Two more bridges are currently under construction at Rhodes Bridge (Chambigne) and Dignans Bridge (Pikapene), and the remaining eight outstanding bridges will be exclusively constructed by Council.

There will be 93 timber bridges remaining at the completion of works under Fixing Country Bridges (round 1). Council is awaiting the outcome of its submission for funding to replace more timber bridges under Round Two of the Fixing Country Bridges program.

IMAGE: Chevalleys Bridge, Coaldale Road.