An ageing timber bridge at Marlo will be replaced with a modern steel bridge designed to last 100 years, removing weight restrictions and improving access for residents, primary producers and forestry operators who rely on Healeys Road.
East Gippsland Shire Council has awarded a contract to replace the bridge, which crosses a tributary of Lake Curlip and provides an important connection for the local community.
Mayor Cr Jodie Ashworth said the bridge had reached the end of its useful life despite repeated repairs over many years.
Council manages 191 road bridges across East Gippsland and has replaced 153 of them over the past nine years with steel and concrete bridges or culverts. This major program has made roads safer, improved resilience to fire and flood, increased load limits and strengthened connections between communities.
The Healeys Road upgrade is one of three imminent bridge projects, alongside Mossiface and Swifts Creek, as well as a new pedestrian bridge at Howitt Park, East Bairnsdale. Together, they form a significant program of work, completing the replacement of every ageing timber bridge managed by the shire with safer, stronger steel and concrete structures.
"Bridges are often taken for granted until they start limiting how people move around their communities. After 15 years of repairs, Healeys Road bridge has reached the point where replacement is the right decision," Cr Ashworth said.
The existing timber bridge has been repaired multiple times over the past 15 years and now requires full replacement to provide a safer and more reliable crossing for all road users.
Cr Ashworth said the upgrade, costing $642,780, will provide certainty for residents and industry that depended on the crossing.
"This project is about giving Marlo residents, farmers and forestry operators the confidence that this crossing will continue serving them for decades to come."
The contract follows a competitive public tender process, with submissions assessed by Council's evaluation panel using a value-for-money approach. The successful contractor and contract value will be published on Council's website once contracts are executed and unsuccessful tenderers have been formally notified.
Onsite works are planned for the drier months of the year to reduce weather-related risk, with Council and the appointed contractor to keep the local community informed throughout construction.