The Goulburn River Bridge outside Ulan - constructed in 1930 - will be replaced as part of a $1.2 million project that will better link the Mid-Western Region to the Hunter Valley.
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Currently the bridge is speed restricted, on the recommendation of a report after Council engaged a structural engineer to assess the load rating. Deficiencies in the structure were identified and no over-mass or larger heavy combination vehicles are permitted to use it.
Member for the Dubbo electorate, Dugald Saunders, announced that $900,000 worth of funding has been secured through the Fixing Country Roads program to assist with the Goulburn River Bridge replacement on the Ulan Road.
"Given the synchronisation of industry between the Mid-Western LGA and parts of the Hunter Valley we know there is a significant amount of traffic, be it cars or trucks, that use the Ulan Road," he said.
"The replacement of the Goulburn River Bridge is something I've heard about from the community, and is also a project that has been identified by Mid-Western Regional Council as being a priority. I am proud that through a solid partnership we will be able to work together to deliver this new bridge.
"The $900,000 I have been able to secure through the Fixing Country Roads program via the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole, will be complemented by $300,000 of funding from the council."
At their April meeting on Wednesday evening, Council voted to accept the funding and to amend their 2020/21 and 2021/22 budgets accordingly. Council is required to to fund 25 per cent of the $1.2 million total project cost.
That $300,000 will be funded by; $120,243 from the Regional Road Bridge Capital budget; $90,620 from the Asset Replacement Reserve; and $89,137 from the Rural Sealed Regional Road Capital budget.
Mid-Western Regional Council Mayor, Cr Des Kennedy, said the bridge on Ulan Road is a critical piece of infrastructure in the transport route from the Hunter to the Mid-Western region.
"This funding will allow council to construct an entirely new bridge, one that is wider and designed to accommodate heavy vehicles, in particular those travelling to mines at Ulan," he said.
"For some time a speed restriction has been placed on the existing bridge for safety with heavy and wide-load vehicles also forced to travel an additional 90km via Gulgong to Ulan due to load restrictions.
"This is a great outcome for the community and mining industry alike and I thank the NSW Government for recognising the value in this project."
The project will be the design and construction of a new bridge on Ulan Road over the Goulburn River, to current design standards including width and loading, construction of a bypass road, demolition the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge and associated approaches.
