Works to widen a busy Sturt Highway bridge, that sees up to 20,000 vehicles a day, will kick off later this month.
As part of a $30 million project, the NSW Government is widening the Sturt Highway to four lanes over Marshalls Creek Bridge, to help ease congestion.
Marshalls Creek Bridge is an existing two-way, two-lane access route for vehicles travelling on the Sturt Highway in Wagga Wagga.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will replace the crossing with a wider, longer bridge to ease help congestion and improve safety in the area. The Marshalls Creek Bridge replacement will be 30 metres long and 25.3 metres wide, including four 3.5-metre-wide traffic lanes and two 2.5-metre-wide shoulders.
Commenting on the project, Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison said, “Wagga Wagga is an important regional centre and it’s exciting to see this important project powering ahead since we turned the first sod just a few months ago.
“Once complete, this project will remove a key bottleneck, improve traffic flow, and make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists with new paths on both sides of the bridge.”
Crews will begin to construct the new bridge foundations from late November.
Partial demolition on the northern side of the bridge has already been completed, allowing for piling work that will form the new bridge’s deep foundations, which has been designed to withstand floods, winds and heavy traffic.
Temporary retaining walls will also be installed this month to protect the road embankment before work begins to dig the bridge supports, known as abutments, at each end of the bridge.
Piling on the northern side of the bridge is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with construction of the first bridge deck to follow. Once that section is complete, traffic will be detoured onto the new structure while the remainder of the existing bridge is demolished.
Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr added, “This is a really important project for Wagga Wagga, and it’s great to see progress continuing despite the challenges of working on such a busy corridor.
“We know how vital the Sturt Highway is for local businesses, freight operators and families, and I want to thank the community for their patience as this work continues.
“Once complete, the new bridge will make a real difference to safety and connectivity right across the city.”
During the project, TfNSW will maintain traffic flow through the work zone where possible to minimise disruptions. For safety, right-hand turns in the work zone will be restricted. Those travelling to nearby businesses are being encouraged to use the Kooringal Road and Norton and Mason Street roundabouts where possible to safely turn and access businesses in the area.