Two new bridges have been officially opened in Kyogle and Lismore, New South Wales, which will allow more freight to be transported through the region.
The new bridges are stronger and more resilient to natural disasters, which will benefit the transport and logistics industries.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Sam Farraway, said the new Kyogle bridge replaced an 83-year-old concrete structure that had been operating under a 20-tonne load limit for the past two decades.
“This new larger single span concrete structure, founded on steel driven piles, has been designed and constructed to achieve a 100-year design life while improving flood immunity and safety for local farmers and truck drivers,” he said.
“Further efficiencies will be realised for local freight including diverting timber, dairy and agricultural products away from the Omagh Road route, saving truck drivers a 10-kilometre detour.”
The project received $2.1 million through the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Roads program as well as $300,000 from Kyogle Council and a $212,000 contribution in materials supplied by Grahams Quarry.
A new $517,000 bridge in the Lismore City Council area has also been opened, which replaced a flood-damaged culvert that washed away in flooding earlier this year.
The Keerrong Road Bridge was jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments under Disaster Assistance Arrangements for the March 2022 flood event.
Lismore Mayor, Cr Steve Krieg, said the opening of the bridge was great news for the community.
“The new bridge will ensure our farmers can get their produce to markets and improves the connectivity across our whole local government area,” he said.
“Importantly, Council has built back better by improving the resilience of the bridge to flooding.”
In other news, the National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC) has announced that Transport Women Australia Limited (TWAL) will be joining its Board.
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