Two ageing wooden bridges to the north of the Sunshine Coast are set to be replaced with more durable, flood-resilient structures.
The Harrys Creek Road bridge at Amamoor and the Howe Road bridge at Traveston will be overhauled in a bid to improve road safety, reduce maintenance and ensure better connectivity for communities frequently impacted by severe weather events.
The works will be part of $7.3 million Timber Bridge Replacement project around Gympie, which also includes replacing bridges on Smith Road, Woolooga, and Inglewood Road, Monkland.
The bridges have reached end of life and were identified for replacement based on their location and condition, which should reduce ongoing maintenance needs and increase flood resilience.
Gympie mayor Glen Hartwig said the bridges would be more reliable.
“Replacing these wooden bridges will improve road safety and ensure reliable connectivity in Gympie,” he said.
“The amount of wear and tear, caused by the rainfall and extreme weather events, has now developed into a safety issue.
“We also recognise that upgrading to concrete bridges will reduce the number of maintenance needs and enhance flood resilience in these areas, which is a commonsense outcome for residents.
“We appreciate the community’s patience and thank the Australian Government for their support in funding these critical improvements.”
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Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the works would be of significant benefit.
“These new bridges will make a real difference to safety and reliability for the local community who rely on these roads every day,” she said.
“Replacing ageing timber bridges with stronger, more flood-resilient structures is a smart and necessary investment in the region’s future.”
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the bridges were on key supply routes.
“Queensland’s recent flood events again underlined how vulnerable communities are when they are isolated by key supply routes being cut off,” she said.
“There is no denying the value of having fit-for-purpose infrastructure that supports communities and enables them to continue functioning through all conditions.”
The upgrades received investment from the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the federal government Black Summer Bushfire Recovery grant program and Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program and Gympie Regional Council.
