The Australian and New South Wales governments continue to partner with Armidale Regional Council to deliver targeted road safety improvements – with $8 million in bridge upgrades now complete and open to traffic.
Ageing bridges at Laura Creek, Boorolong Creek and Bakers Creek in the Armidale region have been replaced with modern concrete structures, which will improve road safety, and boost flood resilience during natural disasters.
The upgrades were supported by $4.2 million from the Australian Government's Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, and $4.2 million under Round 1 of the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges Program.
Armidale Regional Council undertook assessments of all old timber bridges in 2017, with assessors recommending renewing deteriorated old timber bridges to ensure they did not fail or require closure.
Council is currently in the process of replacing three more timber bridges and a culvert, supported by over $4.5 million under Round 2B of the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges Program.
The Australian Government is delivering significant funding increases to support local councils progress their priority projects.
This includes progressively increasing the Roads to Recovery program from $500 million to $1 billion per year, with over $12.4 million flowing to Armidale Regional Council over the next five years – a boost of $4 million thanks to the Albanese Government.
The Road Black Spot Program is also increasing from $110 million to $150 million per year, and $50 million has been added to the new $200 million per year Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain MP:
"As someone that spends a large portion of their week driving on our regional roads, I know how important it is for all levels of government to work in partnership to deliver the safety improvements communities expect.
"It's fantastic to see these ageing crossings replaced with concrete bridges thanks to our $4.2 million investment – with significant funding increases from the Albanese Government to support a pipeline of future road improvements in the Armidale region."
Quotes attributable to Federal Labor Senator for NSW, Tim Ayres:
"Local road networks across NSW are ageing and under more demand, which is why the Australian Government is working with all levels of government to deliver local priority projects.
"It's great to see traffic flowing on these upgraded Armidale bridges, which are safer for motorists and pedestrians, easier for our heavy vehicles to navigate, and require less long maintenance – enabling council to invest in other targeted road improvements."
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, the Hon Jenny Aitchison MP:
"The NSW Government is pleased to help Armidale Regional Council improve its infrastructure assets in the long term.
"These three new concrete bridges are built stronger and better than the old timber ones, using modern engineering methods and materials. This is vitally important to ensure they are more resilient through natural disasters.
"The importance of bridges cannot be underestimated. They keep people connected to the facilities of their nearest town and provide emergency services and school buses with safe and reliable access.
"It is great to see all three levels of government working together to invest in critical transport infrastructure in regional NSW – like bridges – that will allow more efficient freight transport of produce, which in turn help reduce heavy vehicle traffic volumes in the region."
Quotes attributable to Armidale Regional Council Acting General Manager, Annie Harris:
"I acknowledge the funding support from the NSW and Australian Governments.
"These bridges are a vital lifeline to many parts of our community because they support farmers, agricultural freight as well as local tourism.
"We have been implementing a Bridge Renewal Strategy since 2017 and we have been working very hard to progressively replace the aged timber bridges throughout the region with new concrete structures.
"With 31 structures originally identified under this program of works, we are thrilled to have completed 16 construction upgrades. As we are today, there are 15 timber bridges remaining.
"The construction of these new bridges is a direct investment in our community's future. They now provide a safe and reliable route for commuters and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to building resilient infrastructure."
Quotes attributable to Armidale Regional Council Project Manager – Capital Works, Kos Weerasinghe:
"The new bridge structures have been designed to withstand a one in a 100-year flood event and are also designed for increased fire resistance to withstand intense bushfire.
"The new precast and prestressed concrete bridges have reduced maintenance costs compared to the old timber bridges and have excellent durability, allowing them to withstand environmental factors such as floods and bushfires.
