Published on Thursday, 23 January 2025 at 3:11:17 PM
Construction to replace the aged Nangetty-Walkaway Road Bridge will soon be underway with works scheduled to begin on Tuesday 28 January 2025.
91ÊÓƵAPP¹ÙÍø Mayor Jerry Clune said the 60 year old bridge must be replaced to meet the current needs of the transport industry.
“Since the bridge was constructed in 1964 the transport industry has changed with 36.5meters long RAV7 (Restricted Access Vehicles) road trains now commonplace on regional roads,” he said.
“Although the old Bridge wasn’t engineered for the loads these vehicles carry, the new bridge will ensure this important link in our transport network is available for many years to come.
“Many freight operations including the grain-harvest, lime-sand and sand mining industries use the Nangetty-Walkaway Road to access the commercial and industrial areas of the City and Port via the Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road.
“The road will need to be closed to undertake the works, and we know this is going to be an inconvenience, so I am asking for everyone’s patience during these critical works,” he added.
From 28 January to 8 February the bridge will be partially closed to undertake preliminary works to prepare the site for the demolition of the bridge. Traffic management will be in place.
From 10 February, the bridge will be closed for construction. To ensure community safety, the following detours will be in place to bypass the construction site:
- Light vehicles and heavy vehicles up to RAV 6 will be directed to Arthur Road
- RAV 7 heavy vehicles will be required to use the Brand Highway and Allanooka Springs Road via Table Top and Mount Horner Roads
Mooreview Plants and Trees, located within the road closure, will still be accessible via the detour.
The almost $9 million project is joint funded by the Australian Government committing more than $4.5 million under the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (formerly the Bridges Renewal Program), the State Government for providing $1 million with the City contributing the remaining funds.
The estimated date of project completion is August 2025.
Following regular infrastructure audits undertaken in early 2021, concerns were raised about the aged bridge’s capacity to carry heavy haulage vehicles up to RAV7. To ensure this critical freight route could remain open to the transport industry, in July 2021, the speed limit on the bridge was reduced to 60km/h.
More information on the project, including maps of the detour routes, is available here
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