Pictured L-R: Camperdown Timboon Rail Trail Committee of Management Chairperson Pat Robertson, committee member Greg Farmer and Council Infrastructure Projects Officer Dean Finlayson on one of the new bridges.
The Camperdown Timboon Rail Trail is open again after Bridges 11 and 12 were replaced earlier than expected.
Council Infrastructure Projects Officer Craig Fowler said Melbourne contractor GR Design and Construction had completely replaced the two old timber bridges
"The bridges had reached the end of their useful life after being built by volunteers in the late nineties, using mostly recycled timber.
"Council has worked closely with the Camperdown Timboon Rail Trail Committee of Management to develop detailed designs that will improve the experience for all trail users.
"The new bridges are steel structures with railings made of recycled composite material, higher rails to accommodate horse riders and weight rated for the committee to get maintenance machinery in to attend to the trail," Mr Fowler said.
Committee Chairperson Pat Robertson said a total of five bridges needed replacing at an estimated cost of $1.2 M.
"Now we've done two bridges there are three more to be replaced," she said.
"DELWP have given us funding for one of these bridges but the committee will also need to contribute.
"The Shire has been really good to us, putting in an application for an RDV grant. We'll know the result at the end of the month."
Mrs Robertson said the committee was negotiating with DELWP to widen the path to allow access with a vehicle for weed spraying and transporting materials.
"We've received a grant from the Corangamite CMA Wild Otways Initiative for a trailer and spray unit that is narrow enough," she said.
"We built about 150 m of boardwalk with students from Gnurad Gundidj School for Student Leadership and they carried in all the timbers for us.
Because of weight limits on the three bridges that need replacement, no horses are permitted between Merrett's Road and Bridge 15, about 1 km north of the Trestle Bridge.
Motorbikes and trail bikes are also not permitted on the trail for safety and to protect the surface.
The 34 km trail passes by spectacular remnants of railway trestle bridges set in beautiful rainforest. It also passes through attractive woodlands and cattle grazing country.
It connects to the Twelve Apostles Trail at Timboon, enabling cyclists and walkers to travel as far as the Port Campbell lookout.
