Work has commenced on the upgrading of the bridge on Gentle Annie Road with construction expected to be completed in early March.
The bridge was extensively damaged in the floods of 2010/2011 with rotted timber wingwalls being washed away causing erosion that affected the trafficable width of the road.
Bundaberg Regional Council sourced $160,000 from the Queensland Reconstruction Authority through its Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) to fund the replacement of the wingwalls.
Council’s Roads and Drainage portfolio spokesperson, Cr. Tony Ricciardi said accessing the funds, creating a design and appointing a contractor had been a time consuming process but he was pleased the project was on the path to completion.
“The work will involve replacement of the wingwalls around the Bebo Arch Bridge (a curved concrete structure of an old English style) which will see the bridge itself virtually untouched during the upgrade,” said Cr. Ricciardi.
“However, the installation of new anchored concrete wingwalls will ensure the long term stability of the bridge in the event of future floods.”
“With work progressing on the bridge there will be some traffic disruptions in the area. I don’t believe detours around the bridge site will cause significant additional travel time for motorists but it is an unavoidable part of the repair process,” said Cr. Ricciardi.
He said Council had undertaken some tree lopping in areas where traffic will be accessing the highway as an additional safety measure for motorists.
Cr. Ricciardi said the work was being undertaken by local contractors Hawe Earthmoving and was being supervised by Cardno Engineering.
