Lake Macquarie City Council is on track to deliver safer travel for motorists and pedestrians in the city's west, with contractor Symal Infrastructure completing a key component of the upgrade of Wilton Road Bridge at Awaba.
Wilton Road Bridge was set to be closed for 10-days from Saturday 24 September but reopened ahead of schedule on Friday 30 September following a full replacement of the ageing timber structure.
Special Projects Officer Micah Barnes said crews were able to take advantage of the recent fine weather to complete the work in just seven days.
"Wilton Road Bridge was built in the late 1960s and load limits had been introduced in recent years to help protect it," Mr Barnes said.
"The former timber structure has now been replaced with robust, reinforced concrete, which will allow safer travel for motorists for decades to come."
During the seven-day closure, crews:
- poured 240 tonnes of concrete to form the base slabs
- installed 28 culvert units weighing 300 tonnes in total
- placed 900 tonnes of earth fill and road base
The project will also deliver improved pedestrian access along the bridge, making it safer for the public to access nearby facilities, such as Awaba Station and Robert 'Dutchy' Holland Oval, on foot.
The project is jointly funded by the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges program and Lake Macquarie City Council.
Works to complete the Wilton Road Bridge upgrade will continue through late 2022. Until then, the community should continue to exercise caution and follow directions from traffic controllers when moving through the area.
Stay up to date with the project at lakemac.com.au/Projects/Wilton-Road-Bridge-Replacement.
