The Rooney's Street footbridge, a crucial pedestrian link from Oonoonba to Railway Estate over the Ross River, will close for maintenance works later this month.
Townsville City Council has engaged local contractor JMac Constructions to undertake the works, which are expected to take around five weeks to complete.
Council's Infrastructure Services Committee chairperson Kurt Rehbein said the works, valued at around $185,000, were essential in ensuring the popular piece of infrastructure remained in tip-top shape.
"Rooney's footbridge provides an essential pedestrian and cycle link from our southern suburbs to the city and is also a popular fishing spot for locals, so it's crucial we undertake these maintenance works to keep the bridge in a safe and useable condition for years to come," Cr Rehbein said.
"We know that there are a lot of students travelling over this bridge for school, that's why we're aiming to start the project at the beginning of the school holidays to minimise the impact the closure will have on families.
"We urge residents to plan ahead and consider how they plan on travelling while the construction on the bridge is being completed as it will be closed to all pedestrians until the end of July."
Cr Rehbein said that the project would support around 10 local jobs and involves the replacement and repair of around 80 decking panels.
"JMac Constructions will complete this project to restore the footbridge, which includes replacing more than 20 worn concrete decking sections with longer lasting, anti-slip fibreglass reinforced plastic panels and the repair of approximately 60 worn concrete panels," he said.
"It's great to be able to back our local tradies, with this project supporting around 10 local jobs over the duration of the works.
"We know how important the Rooney footbridge is for residents living in the area, so we thank the community for their patience."
The Rooney's Street footbridge will be closed to all pedestrian traffic from 23 June to 23 July, subject to wet weather delays.
