The new Brooking Channel Bridge in Western Australia's Kimberley Region will open to traffic on Wednesday, 13 November.
The $107 million project, jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments, has seen the replacement of an ageing single-lane bridge with a much stronger dual-lane structure.
The project is the first to be delivered under the Western Australian Government's Kimberley Resilience Program.
The project strengthens the resilience of Great Northern Highway, which was critically damaged in the flooding that followed Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in late 2022 and early 2023.
While the Brooking Channel Bridge was not destroyed by the flooding event, it remained a 100-metre single-lane bottleneck with limited survival capacity in future major flood events.
Located just outside the town of Fitzroy Crossing, the project has offered a unique opportunity to provide ongoing employment, traineeships and skills development for many local workers employed on the New Fitzroy River Bridge project. It has also continued to support Fitzroy Valley businesses and suppliers.
In just six months, the New Brooking Channel Bridge project has employed or engaged more than 160 local Aboriginal workers, 42 of whom completed a nationally recognised certification.
The traineeships were tailored to meet both the employment needs of the project as well as the in-demand skills in the Kimberley region and beyond.
Thirty Aboriginal-owned businesses have been engaged on the project, 25 of which are Kimberley-based and 20 are Fitzroy Valley-based.
The new 127-metre bridge features two lanes, allowing travel in both directions. It is capable of supporting large loads including road trains and heavy goods vehicles. A new footpath has also been constructed on the bridge to allow easier access for pedestrians.
The Fitzroy Bridge Alliance, comprising Georgiou, BMD and BG&E worked closely with Main Roads to deliver the project in less than nine months, ensuring its completion prior to the onset of wet season. This followed the successful, expedited delivery of the New Fitzroy River Bridge, which opened six months ahead of schedule in December 2023.
As stated by Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
"The New Brooking Channel Bridge is an important addition to Great Northern Highway building a more resilient supply chain in the northwest of Western Australia.
"Australian Government is working closely with the State Government to progressively replace the single lane bridges on Great Northern Highway to reduce the risk of major disruption we witnessed following last year's flooding."
As stated by WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Completion of the new Brooking Channel Bridge in just nine months is an outstanding achievement, providing certainty to freight operators before the onset of wet season.
"The resilience of our supply chains, particularly in the Kimberley, is of the utmost importance to our Government.
"After the catastrophic floods in late 2022 and early 2023, replacing the ageing Brooking Channel Bridge was identified as a key project, and its delivery will provide greater certainty during emergency events.
"The project has built upon the success of the New Fitzroy River Bridge, delivering unprecedented levels of local participation and developing life-changing skills that can be leveraged into the future."
As stated by Senator for Western Australia Glenn Sterle:
"The importance of completing this vital project cannot be overstated.The new channel bridge will ensure that the people of the Kimberley get the fuel, food and other supplies they need.
"It will provide resilience for the Kimberley supply chain along with a safe transport option for the people of Kimberley. It will help the Kimberley's thriving tourism industry.
"This is a great example of what can be achieved when the Federal and State Governments work together delivery of vital infrastructure on time and on budget.
"I congratulate everyone involved the governments, those that worked on the construction and the local community."
As stated by State Member for Kimberley Divina D'Anna:
"The flood events of late 2022 and early 2023 were absolutely devastating, but out of that devastation has been an incredible pipeline of employment and training opportunities for people in the Fitzroy Valley.
"This project has not only delivered a significant improvement in the resilience of the Great Northern Highway, but it's also ensured we continue to capitalise on the benefits delivered on the New Fitzroy River Bridge."
