With the new and improved Fitzroy River Bridge all set to open this weekend, the truckies and transport companies who worked so hard to keep the Kimberley supplied are being applauded.
The Fitzroy Crossing bridge was out of action since flooding on January 3 and many transport companies had to deal with major route disruptions.
“Businesses right across the Kimberley could not have survived without the heroic efforts of the small transport companies that have kept the Kimberley moving despite the more than 100 days of road closures after the flooding and interruptions due to unseasonal rains which unexpectedly closed the low-level crossing during the dry season,” said local Kimberley MP and WA Shadow Minister for Planning, Environment, Lands Neil Thomson.
“It was the small, committed transport companies that just got on with the job.
“It was those small companies that dealt with major route disruptions especially those that had to deviate through the centre of Australia, in some cases doing the Perth to East Kimberley return trips through the Northern Territory of distances over 10,000km.”
Thomson also applauded the hard work of Main Roads and contractors to get the new bridge opened on December 10.
He added that many transport companies took on additional cost without any expectation of return in order to keep goods moving and paid tribute to those drivers who had to spend many more days than usual away from their families to keep Kimberley stores stocked with goods and essential supplies.