News, Road upgrades, Western Australia

New $107 million road train rated bridge to open in WA’s Kimberley

A new 127-metre dual-lane bridge will open next week in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region, replacing an ageing single-lane bridge.

Part of a $107 million project, the new Brooking Channel Bridge will open to traffic on Wednesday, November 13.

The project strengthens the resilience of the Great Northern Highway, which was critically damaged in the flooding that followed Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in late 2022 and early 2023.

While the Brooking Channel Bridge was not destroyed by the flooding event, it remained a 100-metre single-lane bottleneck with limited survival capacity in future major flood events.

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said, “The New Brooking Channel Bridge is an important addition to Great Northern Highway, building a more resilient supply chain in the northwest of Western Australia.

“Australian Government is working closely with the State Government to progressively replace the single lane bridges on Great Northern Highway to reduce the risk of major disruption we witnessed following last year’s flooding.”

The new bridge, jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments, is the first to be delivered under WA’s Kimberley Resilience Program.

It is capable of supporting large loads including road trains and other heavy vehicles. A new footpath has also been constructed on the bridge to allow easier access for pedestrians.

The Fitzroy Bridge Alliance, comprising Georgiou, BMD and BG&E worked closely with Main Roads to deliver the project in less than nine months, ensuring its completion prior to the onset of wet season.

This followed the successful delivery of the New Fitzroy River Bridge, which opened six months ahead of schedule in December 2023.

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti added: “Completion of the new Brooking Channel Bridge in just nine months is an outstanding achievement, providing certainty to freight operators before the onset of wet season.

“The resilience of our supply chains, particularly in the Kimberley, is of the utmost importance to our government.

“After the catastrophic floods in late 2022 and early 2023, replacing the ageing Brooking Channel Bridge was identified as a key project, and its delivery will provide greater certainty during emergency events.”

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