Kempsey Shire Council passed a motion at the council meeting today that will see the South West Rocks Back Creek Footbridge closed permanently until a replacement is constructed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The footbridge was closed on January 3 following the discovery of a structural issue.
An inspection of the bridge revealed that many components are in poor condition, with some of the supporting timbers close to failure.
Related content:
Council will now work to plan the replacement bridge and begin construction as soon as possible.
Director of Operations and Planning Robert Fish said the new footbridge will be constructed this year.
“The likely time frame for this project will see the construction of the replacement bridge begin in June this year and completed by December,” he said.
“The new bridge will be constructed of fiberglass and will look similar to the existing bridge. The lifespan of the replacement will be much longer than the current one and will require less maintenance.”
A report to today's council meeting advised that a preliminary design had been prepared for the new footbridge, which will be located slightly downstream of the existing structure.
The estimated cost of the demolition of the existing footbridge and the construction of the fiberglass replacement is $1.347 million.
Replacement of the Back Creek Footbridge was originally identified in the 2016/2025 10 year program and was subsequently included in the 2016/17 Operating Plan as a budget estimate without detailed project costing, however, these funds are insufficient to cover the current replacement costs.
Council will allocate the additional funds for the construction in the 2019/20 Operating Plan.
Council has asked the public to continue to heed the safety warnings and barricades restricting access to the footbridge. Boating access in Back Creek remains unaffected by the footbridge closure.
Stay ahead with local news by signing up for the Macleay Argus newsletter here.
