Two timber bridges replaced on Murgon-Gayndah Road

Replacement works on two timber bridges on the Murgon-Gayndah Road north of Murgon are nearing completion, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said today

Ms Palaszczuk said work on the Unnamed Creek and Kratzman’s Gully bridges and their approaches were expected to be complete in the next few weeks, weather permitting.

“Both bridges and their approaches underwent reconstruction to improve their durability and were widened to suit the high volume of freight traffic travelling on Murgon-Gayndah Road,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“The reconstruction involved replacing the existing timber bridges with new concrete structures, which will help to decrease future maintenance costs and ensure long-term durability.

“As a bonus, the project team was able to open the new concrete bridge over Kratzman’s Gully to traffic just before Christmas, on 19 December last year.

“Vehicles can now travel across the improved bridge and its alignments, with reduced speed and changed traffic conditions signage temporarily in place while construction is completed.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the reconstruction works were being carried out as part of Main Roads’ $126.5 million Southern Queensland Accelerated Road Rehabilitation Program, which aims to replace 31 timber bridges throughout southern Queensland.

“These bridges have been selected on the basis of their location on key transportation routes, current condition and potential for improved road user value. Many of them were built more than 60 years ago.”

Ms Palaszczuk said a significant number of bridge replacements had already been completed within the Burnett Region, with more currently under construction.

Completed bridges in the Wide Bay/Burnett region include:

·Boonara Creek No 4 (Burnett Highway)

·Crooked Bridge Creek (Burnett Highway)

·Nangur Creek No 2 (Burnett Highway)

·Coppermine Creek (Wide Bay Highway)

·Wide Bay Creek (Wide Bay Highway).

Additional bridges still under construction in the area include Nangur Creek No 3 (Burnett Highway) and Widgee Creek (Wide Bay Highway).