New Bridges for Golden Plains Shire

Media Release

Golden Plains Shire Council welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of $603,500 to fund fifty percent of the cost of two new bridges in Golden Plains Shire.

Council successfully secured the grants under Round Four of the Federal Government’s Bridges Renewal Program to replace the Golden Lake Road Bridge in Piggoreet and the Wall Bridge in Teesdale.

The Federal Government grants will cover $303,500 of the estimated $607,000 cost of replacing the Wall Bridge and $300,000 of the estimated $600,000 cost to replace the Golden Lake Road Bridge. The funding will be matched by Golden Plains Shire Council.

The funding grant was announced by Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP at the Wall Bridge on Friday 12 April 2019, who met with Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey to inspect the old structure. Henderson stated that the grants were confirmed prior to the calling of the Federal Election and are not an election promise.

The project will deliver new concrete bridges to replace the existing old timber structures of Wall Bridge, spanning Native Hut Creek on Stones Road in Teesdale; and Golden Lake Road Bridge, spanning Woady Yaloak River in Piggoreet.

Both the Wall Bridge and the Golden Lake Road Bridge were constructed in 1920 and refurbished with steel main beams almost 40 years later. The existing Wall Bridge is a single-lane timber bridge with a three-tonne load limit that provides a link between the developed areas to the north of Teesdale to the Bannockburn-Shelford Road in the south. The existing Golden Lake Road Bridge has a five-tonne load limit and provides access for vehicles entering Piggoreet from the Lismore-Scarsdale Road. It is located within the Bushfire Management Overlay and currently inhibits access for CFA vehicles entering the area.

Benefits of the new concrete bridges include improved safety for road users and increased bridge load. The new Wall Bridge will also deliver improved safety for pedestrian traffic as the proposed new single-lane concrete bridge includes a 1.5m wide footbridge on one side with a safety rail. The new Golden Lake Road Bridge will also deliver quicker commute times and improved access, eliminating approximately 3kms in detours for heavy vehicles and allowing better access to water resources and private dams located in the area.

Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey says that Council has lobbied hard for government investment in new bridges and road infrastructure in Golden Plains Shire.

“In our large rural shire, Council maintains more than 1,744km of roads including hundreds of bridges of varied age and condition. New road infrastructure is very expensive and Council thanks the Federal Government for recognising the value of these bridge replacement projects for the Teesdale and Piggoreet communities.

“The safety of road users is paramount and at 100 years old, the Wall Street and Golden Lake Road Bridges are perfect examples of important local infrastructure that is at the end of its life. The new concrete bridges will provide safe travel and allow heavy vehicles including emergency vehicles to take the fastest route to their destination.”

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