Council prepares for timber bridge removals

East Gippsland Shire Council awarded a contract at its February meeting that reinforced its commitment to replacing aging timber bridges.

Council maintains over 200 bridges with many of them providing a vital link for rural residents and transport operators who would otherwise have an extended round trip. The bridges are also required to carry heavy loads such as cattle trucks and primary production equipment.

Council awarded a contract for design work, geotechnical investigations and preparation of contract specifications to Chris O’Brien and Company for a lump sum of $869,200. The contract also includes a schedule of rates for further advice.

Based on a bridge’s condition, it is sometimes necessary to put a load limit on it which limits the weight of vehicles allowed to cross the bridge.

Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell said Council recognised the many benefits of replacing the region’s timber bridges.

“Load limits on bridges can extend travel times for vehicles too heavy to cross. When we replace a timber bridge with a steel and reinforced concrete bridge we also usually upgrade the road approaches. This helps maintain access following floods as the bridge and approaches are less likely to be damaged or washed out,” Cr O’Connell said.

“The old timber bridges also need more ongoing maintenance than concrete bridges. These new bridges have a 100-year design life and need considerably less maintenance.

“For these reasons, over the past five years we have put a concerted effort into replacing timber bridges. In fact, by the end of this financial year we will have reduced the number of timber bridges from 138 to just 36,” Cr O’Connell said.

Due to concrete bridges needing less maintenance, savings have been made in the bridge maintenance budget. Council is using those savings to complete the design replacement bridges for the 36 timber bridges.

“This work means Council will be ready to take advantage of any grant funding opportunities to potentially reduce the costs to ratepayer, or if budget becomes available,” Cr O’Connell said.

Geotechnical investigations to identify the physical properties of soil conditions below the ground will take place in locations across the shire in February and March, which may cause minor traffic delays.

This information is used to create a bridge design that will best suit the local conditions.

For more information on this project, contact council’s Project Supervisor Sean Heinemann on 03 5153 9500.