A new bridge at Swifts Creek will replace an ageing timber structure on Hollands O'Briens Road, providing a safer, stronger crossing for school buses, local families, farmers and the forestry industry.
East Gippsland Shire Council has awarded the $652,730 contract to replace the timber bridge to local firm Jarvis Norwood Constructions, a specialist road and bridge builder based in Swan Reach. The bridge crosses the Tambo River and provides an important link for residents, primary producers, forestry machinery and the local school bus.
The existing timber structure has been strengthened multiple times over the past 30 years but has now reached the end of its serviceable life.
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 Swifts Creek upgrade is one of three imminent bridge projects, alongside Mossiface and Marlo, as well as a new pedestrian bridge at Howitt Park, 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.
Mayor Cr Jodie Ashworth said the Hollands O'Briens Road bridge was an important part of everyday life for people in the Swifts Creek community.
"For families around Swifts Creek, this is part of the school run. It needs to be dependable whether it's the middle of summer or after heavy rain, and replacing the old timber structure will give people that certainty," Cr Ashworth said.
The new steel and concrete bridge will provide a safe, non-load-restricted crossing for all road users, including school buses.
Cr Ashworth said the new structure would also make the road more reliable for local industries and other road users.
"The new bridge will make it easier for the people who use this road every day – from school buses and local families to farmers and forestry operators. It's a practical upgrade,” she said.
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.