This new bridge will more than double the load capacity of the existing bridge, allowing for B-doubles up to 68 tonne, while catering to over-width vehicles too.
Being built in Clarence Town, NSW, over the Williams River, a new $20.6 million bridge will be built alongside the heritage-listed Brig O’Johnston Bridge on Limeburners Creek Road.
The existing Brig O’Johnston Bridge is restricted to vehicles of up to 2.8 metres wide and can carry only one lane of traffic with a load restriction of 22.5 tonnes.
Once the new bridge is built, it will allow for semi-trailers of at least 45.5 tonnes and 68-tonne B-doubles.
The project is expected to improve freight access and productivity, with tenders expected to be called in coming months.
“Heavy vehicles currently have to detour up to 52 kilometres to bypass the existing bridge,” said Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King.
“The new bridge will allow industry to increase load width and mass, eliminating the detour and enabling the use of more productive vehicles. This will result in time savings while reducing energy costs and emissions.”
Though the Australian and NSW governments had previously approved $8.8 million and $5.5 million in funding respectively, the NSW Government has now increased its contribution by a further $5.5 million to $11 million and the Australian Government by $781,000 to $9.581 million.
“The key driver for this project is to provide uninhibited access and egress for heavy vehicles into the Dungog Shire area,” added NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison.
“It will also provide a freight link from the Pacific Highway and the Bucketts Way into rural agricultural areas of Dungog, Vacy and East Gresford.
“Many of the region’s agricultural industries will benefit from larger, more productive freight transport into this area.
“These will include larger milk collection tankers, larger livestock transport vehicles, larger feed delivery vehicles and poultry farm access for deliveries of feed and stock.”
The Brig O’Johnston Bridge will be retained and rehabilitated.