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Residents of the Turners Flat area west of Kempsey now have another way out whenever flooding cuts their main access route, with Silvermine Bridge officially ready to cross.
Kempsey Shire Council's bridge crews have worked through weekends and poor weather conditions to ensure locals have an alternative to crossing the Macleay River, after being isolated during previous flooding events.
Manager of Infrastructure Delivery at Kempsey Shire Council Dylan Reeves, said finishing the project is a huge relief for residents and the council.
"A great deal of the hard work took place in late October, with council's Bridge Crew working long into the afternoons and on a Saturday to make the bridge crossable should flooding impact Turners Flat Bridge," he said.
The intensive work saw pre-cast decks and bridge approaches installed, even as it rained heavily, to make sure residents were not isolated.
It brought forward the scheduled completion date of mid-November.
"We did not want to see residents isolated again like in September, so it really is a job well done and a great reassurance for everyone."
In addition to allowing residents to access esstential supplies during flooding, the bridge is also a much stronger concrete structure meaning it is more durable and can take heavier loads.
"Council would like to extend its sincere thanks to residents for their patience while we worked to replace Silvermine Bridge.
"It was very unfortunate that a couple of flood events occurred during the project, but we are now looking at something very positive for the future."
Reduced speed signs are in place as the gravel road needs time to settle and Council's grading team will complete a final grade in the coming weeks.
The replacement of Silvermine Bridge falls under the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges program where Council secured $20.5 million to replace 56 timber bridges.
Council is also contributing around 10 per cent of costs from its general fund to the project.
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