Contract awarded for the proposed Sheahan Bridge Upgrade project
The planning phase for the Sheahan Bridge Upgrade project in New South Wales is progressing with the contract to carry out design development and environmental assessment awarded to WSP Australia Pty Ltd.
The Sheahan Bridge on the Hume Highway in Gundagai was built in 1977 and it limits how some types of Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles access the route as well as restrict opportunities for contraflow during emergency response or planned maintenance activities on the southbound bridge.
In 2020, the load limit on the northbound bridge was increased from 68 tonnes to 85 tonnes however, for the safety of motorists, Higher Productivity Vehicles still need a permit to travel on the New South Wales section of the Hume Highway due to the age of the bridge and its structural limitations.
The proposed upgrade to the northbound Sheahan Bridge will ultimately enable PBS vehicles to use the Hume Highway without restrictions.
"The Hume Highway is the major freight corridor from Sydney to Melbourne, the oldest and busiest highway in Australia. It has been Labor governments which have invested and delivered the crucial upgrades that have ensured freight, tourism and other road users can rely on this vital network," Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said.
"All across regional NSW, Labor governments are working together to improve roads, bridges and other transport infrastructure.
"I am very pleased to see the Sheahan Brodge upgrade planning project progressing and look forward to learning what the preferred improvement option is," NSW Labor spokesperson for Cootamundra Stephen Lawrence MLC said.
The preferred option for the bridge has not been confirmed. Several options will be investigated during the strategic assessment stage and the project’s concept designs will provide a development and environmental assessment to potentially upgrade or replace the northbound bridge over the Murrumbidgee River.
The possible options being investigated include:
- Building a replacement bridge on a new alignment upstream (east) or downstream (west) of the existing bridge
- Replacing the existing bridge on the current alignment
- Strengthening the existing bridge
Meanwhile, the southbound lanes of the bridge that were duplicated opened to traffic in 2009.
Transport for NSW will not work with WSP Australia to further investigate each option for the bridge. A preferred option is expected to be identified and released for public display in mid-2026. Transport for NSW will keep the community updated as the project progresses.
The Australian and New South Wales Governments have jointly funded $20 million for the planning stage of the northbound Sheahan Bridge upgrade.
Source: Transport for NSW; NSW Government - Media Releases; Roads & Infrastructure Australia; Big Rigs
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