Work on the new $3.3 million Montgomerys Bridge is expected to start before the end of the year. 

Kyogle Council at its August meeting accepted a tender for the demolition of the old steel and timber bridge, which has been closed since November 2020 for safety reasons. 

Work to pull down the old bridge is scheduled to start in early October for completion at the end of October. The way will then be clear for the construction of the new bridge to start before Christmas. All going to plan, the new bridge, to be built on the existing alignment, will be open to traffic by mid-2026. 

This will come as a relief to residents living west of the bridge who have had to detour an extra 16km each way around the old bridge. 

Kyogle Mayor Cr Danielle Mulholland said Council was thrilled to be able to announce that work on the new bridge will start soon. 

“Council acknowledges that the bridge closure has not been easy for Ghinni Ghi and Iron Pot Creek Road residents, and we thank them for their patience and understanding,” Cr Mulholland said. 

“We’ve worked really hard over the past few years to secure funding for this project. We put in several applications under the Fixing Country Bridges Program before finally winning a Regional Roads Program grant as a part of the State Election Commitment announced in mid-2024.” 

The grant package of $12 million will allow Council to replace 12 bridges, including Montgomerys, in its current bridge replacement program. 

“Council is grateful to the State Government for recognising the needs of our communities and providing the funds for the 12 bridges,” Cr Mulholland said. 

“We couldn’t do what we do for our communities without the funding support of the State and Federal Governments. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, everyone wins when all levels of government work hand in hand.” 

The new three-span Montgomerys bridge will be 54m in length and five metres wide. The bridge’s substructure will feature reinforced concrete abutments, and concrete bored piles and central piers. The superstructure will be made up of concrete planks, with deck cast in-situ.

For safety reasons, the new bridge will have a guard rail system incorporated into the design.