Further funding ensures delivery of new Clarence Town bridge

A new bridge over the Williams River for Clarence Town is set to be built, with funding now secured for the project. 

The new bridge is going to be constructed alongside the heritage-listed Brig O’Johnston Bridge on Limeburners Creek Road – which will be retained and rehabilitated. 

“This is fantastic news for the people of Clarence Town and for surrounding businesses and industry. 

“Heavy vehicles currently have to detour up to 52 kilometres to bypass the existing bridge. 

“The new bridge will allow industry to increase load width and mass, eliminating the detour and enabling the use of more productive vehicles. 

“This will result in time savings while reducing energy costs and emissions,” Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said. 

The bridge, once completed, will have the capability to allow semi-trailers of about 45.5 tonnes and 68-tonne B-Doubles to pass, which is more than double the load capacity of the existing bridge. 

The new bridge will be able to cater for over-width vehicles, unlike the Brig O’Johnston Bridge that is restricted to vehicles of up to 2.8 metres wide and can only have one lane of traffic with a load restriction of 22.5 tonnes. 

In addition, the project will deliver a pedestrian walkway as well. 

“By building a more reliable road freight network, we’re ensuring that food, produce and raw materials, which feed and power our state, can move to market as efficiently as possible. 

“This project is a great example of all three levels of government working together for the benefit of the community,” NSW Government Duty MLC for the Upper Hunter electorate Emily Suvaal said. 

“We’ve been advocating heavily for this project across all levels of government for several years, and we’re thrilled that we can finally deliver a safe, reliable and accessible bridge that the Clarence Town community deserves. 

“As a region, the Dungog shire has been identified as potentially needing 2,400 residential homes by 2041, so it’s great to know that the infrastructure on major arterial routes – such as the Clarence Town Bridge – will support this level of growth,” Dungog Mayor John Connors said. 

Once open to traffic, the new bridge will help improve freight access and productivity while improving road safety and supporting local industries. 

Tenders for the project are due to be called in the coming months. 

The $20.6 million project is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments, each with a previously approved contribution of $8.8 million and $5.5 million respectively. Now, the contributions have increased by $5.5 million for the State Government and $781,000 for the Australian Government. 

“The NSW Government’s announcement of additional funding to ensure the new bridge is delivered is fantastic news for the people of Clarence Town and for surrounding businesses and industry. 

“The key driver for this project is to provide uninhibited access and egress for heavy vehicles into the Dungog Shire area. 

“It will also provide a freight link from the Pacific Highway and the Bucketts Way into rural agricultural areas of Dungog, Vacy and East Gresford. 

“Many of the region’s agricultural industries will benefit from larger, more productive freight transport into this area. 

“These will include larger milk collection tankers, larger livestock transport vehicles, larger feed delivery vehicles and poultry farm access for deliveries of feed and stock,” NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said. 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; Newcastle Weekly; Big Rigs; Inside Local Government