SIX BRIDGES in Byron Shire will be replaces when Byron Shire Council gets $3.15 million under the Federal Government’s Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program.
Mayor Simon Richardson said the bridges are all in rural parts of the Shire and this is fantastic news for the communities that use them every day.
“Five of the bridges are in the Bangalow area and four are made of timber and they have been deteriorating over the course of time,” Mayor Richardson said.
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“Most of them are one-lane bridges that have load limits and this creates a range of problems for the surrounding agricultural industries including the Booyong processing plant, macadamia farms and dairy and beef farms,” he said.
The causeway at Blindmouth Creek at Main Arm will also be replaced.
“This causeway services a small community on Main Arm Road and it floods on average around four times a year, cutting residents off,” Mayor Richardson said.
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“A Federal Government grant of $570,000 will be used to replace the causeway to make it two lanes and able to cope with much heavier load limits,” he said.
“The total cost of this project is $1.14 million and this includes fixing the approaches to the causeway to make it safer for all people who use the road.
“I know there were only 186 projects in Australia that received funding in this round of the Federal Government’s Bridges Renewal Program and to receive money for six bridges in the Byron Shire is a significant outcome,” Mayor Richardson said.
Council expects to call for tenders for the construction of the bridges in October this year and there will be extensive communication with residents in these areas about the bridge priorities and the time line for construction.
The bridges and causeway to be replaced are:
- Blindmouth Creek Crossing
- Booyong Bridge
- Scarrabelotti’s Bridge
- James Bridge
- O’Meara’s Bridge
- Parkers Bridge