FIXING COUNTRY BRIDGES

A total of $46 million in funding has been secured to replace a total of 36 bridges in the Clarence Valley under the Fixing Country Bridges program.

The NSW Government program was established to allow councils to replace ageing timber bridges, which were primarily built during the 1940s and 50s.

“Under our normal program we would replace two or three bridges per year,” Bridges Engineer Adele McGeary said. “Fixing Country Bridges has allowed us to significantly accelerate our replacement program.

“Fortunately, most of our worst assets that require the most maintenance will be replaced under the program.”

The bridge replacement projects approved under rounds 1, 2A and 2B are slated to be completed by late 2025. There will be an additional 88 timber bridge assets remaining in the Clarence Valley.

Fixing Country Bridges Delivery Plan

Due to the sharp increase in resources provided by the Fixing Country Bridges funding, a delivery plan has been developed with a mix of construction types and procurement strategies, including:

 Early engagement of consultants to undertake investigation works at all sites;

 Investigation of availability, cost and procurement of prefabricated components;

 Maximised number of bridges delivered using our own bridge crews;

 Bundled small bridges with similar pre-fabricated components into a ‘Construct Only’ contract;

 Bundled larger bridges into packages and engaging contractors in ‘Design and Construct’ contracts.

FUNDING BREAKDOWN:

ROUND 1: $30.8M

FOR 31 BRIDGES TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY 30 APRIL 2024

ROUND 2A: $11.3M FOR BLUFF BRIDGE ON ORARA WAY TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY 31 MAY 2025

ROUND 2B: $3.9M

FOR FOUR BRIDGES TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY 28 NOVEMBER 2025

Why We Are Replacing Timber Bridges With Concrete

The existing timber bridges require regular inspections, maintenance, and replacement of individual components. They are more susceptible to damage by flood and fire, wear under heavy traffic, decay and white ant damage, whereas the new concrete bridges will be more resilient to these forces.

All identified bridges in the project are being replaced with reinforced concrete structures, which have a design life of 100 years. The new bridges are expected to require minimal regular maintenance over their design life, reducing the operating cost which over the long term saves time and money.