Horseshoe Bend Road reopens to traffic

HORSESHOE Bend Road at Mount Duneed’s Thompson Creek Bridge has today reopened to traffic, signalling a welcome end to the road’s prolonged closure.

The area was first closed in late 2022 when a section of the road collapsed after sustaining significant damage in repeat flooding events.

The road was reopened briefly around Christmas for the peak summer period, before closing again in early February for the completion of major repairs.

The Surf Coast Shire has previously attributed the road’s extended closure to unexpected delays.

“We acknowledge that this closure has caused significant inconveniences for community members for an extended period, and thank people for their patience,” mayor Liz Pattison said.

“Damage to the road structure was extensive, and the repair work has factored in likely impacts of future extreme rain events.

“The crossing will still operate as a floodway during peak storm events, but new construction elements will help ensure it is more resilient to water damage.”

The reconstructed bridge has been built to withstand future flood events and includes reinforced concrete pavement and scour protection for downstream banks and rock beaching for upstream banks.

The road safety barriers have also been modified to avoid blocking flood water flow.

Funding for the repairs was jointly provided by the state and federal governments.