Wye River bridge upgrade back on

An artist's impression of a Wye River bridge, which is set to start construction late this year. Photo: SUPPLIED

THE state government has returned to plans to replace Wye River’s Great Ocean Road bridge and will begin building the project this year.

Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) has revived plans for the new river crossing, which stalled following a community information session in late 2018.

The regional roads authority said the new bridge would have an increased load capacity of more than 100 tonnes, a wider bridge deck and a footpath on the ocean side for pedestrian safety.

The bridge will also be raised 70cm than the current crossing to allow for higher tides and storm surges in the area amid changing climactic conditions.

An existing pedestrian bridge upstream of the river would also receive a touch up with a fresh coat of varnish.

RRV hosted two webinars regarding the new project earlier this month to brief residents on the project.

It said the build would bring the bridge up to modern standards and ensure its resilience for coming decades, improve connectivity between Great Ocean Road communities like Lorne and Apollo Bay, provide better access to the town’s caravan park and general store and improve safety for road users.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, with two lanes set to be fully operational by summer before a pause in work for the busiest period, before work starts again in February next year.