Steph Cooke | 11 Apr 2022 | News Roads and Transport Uncategorized
The final design for the new permanent bridge at Wallendbeen has been completed and construction is expected to begin later this year.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said this is welcome news for residents and transport operators who have been living with a temporary single-lane steel bridge after a wet weather event severely damaged the original road-over-rail bridge last year.
“With about 1000 vehicles travelling along this road corridor in each direction every day, the new bridge will bring improved travel times as it returns a two-lane crossing to motorists,” Ms Cooke said.
“The new permanent bridge has been designed to Australian Standards for bridge design, and will be wider than both the original and temporary bridge, able to accommodate B-Doubles and even larger trucks.”
“Construction is expected to begin later this year. This timeframe allows for the tender advertisement and evaluation period, the contract award and site preparation.”
“Once construction starts, it is estimated the bridge will take about a year to complete, weather permitting.”
The original two-lane bridge was removed in March last year after being damaged from a wet weather event.
Transport for NSW installed a single-lane temporary steel bridge in October 2021 to get traffic back on Burley Griffin Way as quickly as possible.
The temporary bridge will remain in place while the new bridge is built.
Transport will contact the community later this year with further information when a start date is confirmed.
Work will start next week to build a temporary crossing to replace the demolished road over rail bridge at Wallendbeen, saving drivers a 40-minute detour.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the replacement crossing of the rail corridor along Burley Griffin Way at Wallendbeen was required after the overbridge was damaged by heavy rain in March and needed to be demolished.
“We are conscious of how much extra travel time is required to divert around this gap in our road network and have been working hard on both short and long-term solutions to help the freight industry and ensure locals are able to reduce their time spent on the road,” Ms Cooke said.
“As someone who is constantly on our local roads I know how much of an inconvenience this has been and I thank everyone for their patience.”
“Work is about to get underway on a temporary single-lane, pre-fabricated structure that will allow us to re-open traffic over this section of the Burley Griffin Way and cut out the need for a 40 minute detour.”
“This replacement structure is comprised of pre-fabricated parts and will be installed on site, over a period of about three months – a fraction of the time it would take to build a permanent crossing.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said Transport for NSW was also progressing the designing and planning work for a new, permanent structure that will meet better the needs of locals and the freight sector.
“We want the local community to rest assured that this process is under way and we will be keeping all stakeholders updated on progress,” Mr Toole said.
“We thank the community for its patience so far, and while this temporary bridge is installed.”
Work will take three months, with the bridge expected to be open to traffic in September.
Construction will be carried out from Monday between 6.30am and 5.30pm weekdays.
Burley Griffin Way will remain closed at the railway line and motorists should continue to use the detour via the Olympic Highway and Goldfields Way.
Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, plan ahead, and follow the directions of signs and traffic control.
For the latest traffic updates, download the Live Traffic NSW App and visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701
The Burley Griffin Way will be reopened in the coming months with a temporary bridge to be built over the rail line at Wallendbeen.
Local drivers are currently undertaking a 40-minute detour following the demolition of the old bridge after it was heavily damaged by rain.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the bridge would provide temporary access to Burley Griffin Way while a permanent solution is planned and built.
“Since the rail bridge was demolished in March after it was damaged as a result of heavy rains, traffic has been detoured, adding 40 minutes to journeys and creating a major challenge for both the freight industry and local road users,” Ms Cooke said.
“I want to thank everyone for their patience during this period, I regularly travel up and down the Burley Griffin Way and this detour has meant a lot more time on the road for many of us.”
“This temporary road bridge over the rail line at Wallendbeen is expected to take about three months to complete. We understand the impact the closure of this bridge is having on the community and freight industry, but we’re working hard to open it to traffic as soon as possible.”
“The community and stakeholders will be kept up to date as the new bridge is installed.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said Transport for NSW was also working with Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council and Australian Rail Track Corporation to open a shorter detour route while the temporary bridge is being installed to limit the impact on motorists.
“Work to build the temporary crossing from pre-fabricated sections is expected to start in coming weeks, but in the meantime we’re working on a solution to keep traffic moving because we know how important a reliable road network is to our regional communities,” Mr Toole said.
“We’re building a safer, stronger regional NSW, and a replacement bridge will ensure both the freight industry and local drivers are once again able to experience a more efficient and reliable journey.
“Our number one priority is the safety of all motorists and we thank the community for their patience while we investigate the best permanent solution.”
Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, plan ahead, and follow the directions of signs and traffic control.
For the latest traffic updates, download the Live Traffic NSW App and visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
