NSW
Clarence Town in the NSW Hunter Region is set to get a new bridge over the Williams River, with the new structure to be built alongside the heritage-listed Brig O’Johnston Bridge on Limeburners Creek Road.
The new bridge will allow for semi-trailers of at least 45.5 tonnes and 68-tonne B-Doubles – more than double the load capacity of the existing bridge.
It will also cater for over-width vehicles, unlike the Brig O’Johnston Bridge, which is restricted to vehicles of up to 2.8 metres wide and can carry only one lane of traffic with a load restriction of 22.5 tonnes.
The works will also deliver a pedestrian walkway.
The project is expected to improve freight access and productivity, improve road safety, and support local industries. Tenders are expected to be called in coming months.
The new $20.6 million bridge is funded by the Australian and NSW governments. The Australian and NSW governments had previously approved $8.8 million and $5.5 million in funding respectively.
The NSW Government has now increased its contribution by a further $5.5 million to $11 million and the Australian Government by $781,000 to $9.581 million.
“I recently visited Dungog and the growing need for a new bridge was clear to me,” said NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister, Jenny Aitchison (pictured).
“The key driver for this project is to provide uninhibited access and egress for heavy vehicles into the Dungog Shire area.
“It will also provide a freight link from the Pacific Highway and the Bucketts Way into rural agricultural areas of Dungog, Vacy and East Gresford.
“Many of the region’s agricultural industries will benefit from larger, more productive freight transport into this area.
“These will include larger milk collection tankers, larger livestock transport vehicles, larger feed delivery vehicles and poultry farm access for deliveries of feed and stock.”
The Brig O’Johnston Bridge will be retained and rehabilitated, the NSW Government said in a statement today.
