More than 130 years ago, the Crankies Plain Bridge was built to cross the Coolumbooka River near Bombala, in southern NSW.
Now, it is in line for a rebuild that will take four years and enable heavy and other road traffic to cross it to connect to the Monaro Highway.
The crossing is also heritage-listed which means its original timber structure must be kept.
The McDonalds timber truss bridge is one of four such left in the state and is believed to have been built between 1886 and 1893, the NSW Government says.
The first phase of planning is already under way: identifying a suitable detour route while the river crossing is inaccessible during the rebuild.
Government’s preferred route is Black Lake Road, which is already approved for heavy vehicles but will also add up to 30 minutes travel time.
A final decision will be made early in the new year after assessing the feedback from public sessions (see list below).
The bridge is located on Cathcart Road and connects arterial roads like Cathcart, Crankies Plain, Pipe Clay Springs and Black Lake roads to the Monaro Highway as well as residents of Coolumbooka and Cathcart to Bombala and Bibbenluk.
BRIDGE ‘IS VITAL’
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison says work on the timber structure, currently rated as safe, is vital.
“There is no perfect time to rebuild Crankies Plain Bridge but this work is essential,” she says.
“We understand some people would prefer to see a completely new bridge but as a State Heritage-listed structure, we must respect its historic value and meet heritage requirements through a rebuild.”
The MP for Monaro, Steve Whan says the crossing “has been part of Bombala’s history for more than a century”.
“This project will make sure it continues to serve the community safely for generations to come.”
The government says other options like upgrading Crankies Plain Road as well as a temporary crossing were considered but discarded because of the greater environmental, property, construction and financial costs.
The option of upgrading the bridge to a two-lane concrete structure was dismissed given that the historic timber trusses would have to be used.
Click here for more on the project.
PUBLIC FEEDBACK
Three drop-in sessions for residents to ask questions and have their say have been confirmed. These will be held at:
- Bombala and District Markets, 8am-2pm, Saturday, November 22;
- Bombala Community Centre, 4pm-7pm, Tuesday, November 25;
- Maybe Street, Bombala (near IGA), 10am-2pm, Wednesday, November 26.
To provide feedback online, visit Have your say, Rebuilding Crankies Plain Bridge.
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