Work starting on new bridge

CONSTRUCTION of a replacement bridge across the Moorabool River on Slate Quarry Road east of Meredith is set to get underway early next week.

The works mean the bridge, and a section of Slate Quarry Road, will be closed to all traffic from Tuesday, 9 February until Tuesday, 31 August.

The $2.3 million project will see the current single lane span that has a 15-tonne load limit replaced with an unrestricted two-lane bridge.

“To allow the new bridge to be built, the existing bridge needs to close for some time,” said Golden Plains Shire mayor Cr Helena Kirby.

“There will be detours in place, and I encourage all locals and businesses to allow extra travel time if they need to travel through the area.”

From Meredith that detour will be via the Ballan-Meredith Road and Mount Wallace-Ballark Road to connect with Geelong-Ballan Road.

Slate Quarry Road has become a major thoroughfare between the Midland Highway and Geelong-Ballan Road.

An estimated 25 heavy trucks per day will use the new bridge, eliminating a 20-kilometre route around the area and saving about 130,000 kilometres travelled per year.

The upgraded span will also allow for improved emergency service access, especially for fire trucks seeking to get to the bushland east of the Moorabool River.

Of the $2.3 million price tag for the replacement bridge, the Shire and the Federal Government are splitting the bill 50/50, with the Commonwealth portion coming from the Bridges Renewal Program.

Civil construction firm Bitu-Mill were awarded the job by council in late December and will be undertaking the work, which will also include improvements to approaches to the bridge, especially on the western side of the river.

Work on the Slate Quarry Road bridge signals the start of a busy 2021 for road works across the Shire.

“[This] replacement… is one of 25 projects council has planned to deliver this year, and it’s exciting that works will shortly get underway on this important project for the Meredith community,” Cr Kirby said.

“Last year, five bridges were completed in Golden Plains Shire, and we’ll deliver another three upgraded bridges in the Rokewood area as well as numerous other road projects.”

Those Rokewood span replacement works are at Reserve Road, Paddys Gully Road, and Geggies Road, while new guard rails are slated for bridges at Happy Valley, Werneth, Meredith, Rokewood, Haddon, Inverleigh, Piggoreet and Linton.

Also on the agenda is the stage two widening of Meredith-Shelford Road at Meredith, Russells Bridge Road at Russells Bridge, and Shelford-Mt Mercer Road at Mount Mercer.

There are also intersection upgrades set for the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Road and Hardies Hill Road intersection at Garibaldi, and Derwent Jacks Road, Snow Gum Road, Reef Road and Chromes Road intersection at Berringa.