Historic rail bridge demolition in North Lismore set for September

THE demolition of a historic rail bridge over Terania St next month will come as a “blessed relief” to people in North Lismore, Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said.

The bridge formed part of the Casino-Murwillumbah line that was closed in 2004.

Terania St was closed to traffic for four months when a truck hit the infrastructure in February, rendering it unsafe.

Temporary safety measures installed in June allowed light traffic to pass, but heavier vehicles were forced to take alternate routes.

It caused significant disruption to residents, businesses, and through traffic. Ms Saffin said the bridge removal is one step closer – following the publication of a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) document which is now available for viewing online.

“The Heritage Council of NSW has approved the removal of the bridge and Transport for NSW teams are busily working through the processes and documents for the removal to be carried out,” Ms Saffin said.

“Some early works such as setting up the site compound and installing temporary access tracks will start in late August, weather permitting, with demolition works to start in September.”

Transport for NSW found the underbridge was “at end of life, not structurally sound and is a safety risk to the public and users of the road”. The underbridge also has low height clearance and narrow lane widths “that are life- endangering with escalating safety risks to the public and users of the road”.

The bridge also impeded emergency response during flood events, impeding the Terania Street Evacuation Route.

“This much needed project will make a big difference to local transport through North Lismore and will be a blessed relief to North Lismore businesses,” Ms Saffin said.

“The removal of the bridge will resolve issues relating to house relocation and high loads and will also make it easier for boat access during flood events.”

The bridge will be removed at the nearest joint on the embanked area on either side of the bridge, and all bridge transoms will be removed.

Transport for NSW considered several options, including raising the spans, finding alternative routes, reconstruction or rehabilitation. They were found to be either too costly, unfeasible or did not resolve the issues.

The road will be closed again for the demolition works and previous detours will apply.

Demolition was expected to be completed by the end of 2024.