Murray River Council has secured $4,820,000 of funding from the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges Program.
This will support Council's ongoing timber bridge replacement program, enabling the replacement of 5 additional bridges.
These include:
- Rangemore Road/Jimaringle Creek Bridge,- (with 50% funding from the Australian Government's Bridges Renewal Program),
- Sandys Bridge Road/Barber Creek Bridge
- Drysdale Lane/Merran Creek Bridge
- Frasers Road/Murrain Yarrein Creek Bridge
- Tooranie Road/Yarrein Creek Bridge
With the contracts already awarded for the construction of other remaining bridges including Nacurrie Road North/Middle Creek Bridge, Nacurrie Rd South/Merran Creek Bridge and Rangemore Road/Jimaringle Creek Bridge, Council is now set to have all remaining timber bridges replaced in the next two years.
"This milestone will be welcome news to locals who have waited patiently for the replacement of the timber structures," Mayor Cr Chris Bilkey said.
"The bridges have certainly been a big priority for us here at Council for many years, so this funding really supports our efforts to improve safety on our bridge network and better support freight travel in the region."
The replacement bridges are designed for higher mass limit capacity and have a design life of one hundred years.
When complete the new bridges will improve heavy vehicle access, enhance high productivity freight movement and provide that vital link to the arterial and regional road network for movement of farm produce, including grain and livestock.
"It's so pleasing that Governments can work together to make these critical projects come to fruition, improving the general safety of the roads overall and the efficiency of the regional transport network," Cr Bilkey said.
