The new and improved Ridgewood Bridge, just outside Clunes, was officially opened to traffic this week, enhancing safety for motorists and delivering better outcomes for the community.
The original bridge was built in the 1960's and despite several major repairs since that time, it had reached the end of its life.
The $4.3 million project was a joint initiative of the NSW Government and Lismore City Council, which supported more than 30 local subcontractors, suppliers and workers during construction.
A Lismore City Council spokesperson said the bridge on Mackie Road over Coopers Creek is a crucial link between Clunes and Rosebank.
"This is great news for the Clunes and Rosebank communities in general, and also for the wider community," they said.
""This greatly improves the resilience of the bridge to future flooding and reduces the likelihood of members of our community becoming isolated. It also ensures our farmers can get their produce to markets and improves the connectivity across our whole Local Government Area."
The new bridge is a two-span 8m-long concrete bridge on driven steel pile foundations designed to provide unhindered clearance over Coopers Creek. The deck height of the bridge is also 1.8m higher than the previous bridge.
Council engaged Davbridge Constructions Pty Ltd to build the project.
State Member for Lismore and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin, who attended the opening, said the new Ridgewood Bridge near Clunes was a prime example of betterment within a transport infrastructure project.
"Rather than continue with patch-up jobs of a 60-year-old timber bridge, Lismore City Council partnered with the NSW Government to replace it with a concrete and steel bridge that has a 100-year design life," Ms Saffin said.
"Mackie Road is a collector road serving about 400 vehicles daily and traffic volumes will only grow in future years. Importantly, the new Ridgewood Bridge sits higher over Coopers Creek, is wider, and provides greater resilience during times of flood and bushfire.
"I commend contractors Davbridge Constructions Pty Ltd on delivering a better bridge for the Clunes and Rosebank communities."
The new bridge was constructed alongside the existing one in order to provide continual access for motorists during the construction period. Following completion of the new connection, the old bridge will be demolished when the Rous County Council water main is relocated to the new bridge and the creek banks rehabilitated.
The project was jointly funded by the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges program and Lismore City Council.
Caption: Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg and State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, with members of Council's Bridge crew and Clunes locals.
