Piece by piece, historic Lansdowne Bridge has been dismantled so it can be replaced with a brand new crossing of the Mulwaree River.

A massive crane has been a feature of the skyline near the Old Brewery as it has been dismantling the 1902 De Burgh truss bridge.

The new two lane bridge will have a shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians and is expected to be completed by September, 2019.

Member for Goulburn Pru Goward and Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor met with Roads and Maritime (RMS) staff to inspect demolition of the bridge on Monday, May 28.

The politicians acknowledged the two-year delay on the project to date has been frustrating for road users. 

“I think it has taken far too long and it has been very frustrating for road users to have this locked off for two years while we waited for the demolition to occur,” Ms Goward said. 

“But the council were right - if you are going to build a new bridge why not make it safer in the approaches?

“It was a great opportunity,  but it has taken a lot more time and money. That said, the RMS are great designers and at the end of it we will have a great bridge with safe approaches.” 

Member for Hume Angus Taylor shared the frustration.

“I travel past this site most days and I know the people of Windellama Road and Bungionia and Oallen Ford will be delighted to see the crane sticking up above it as a signal that progress is being made,” Mr Taylor said.

“It is one of the biggest bridge projects we are doing in this region and it is a much bigger job than at face value you might have thought it would be, but it will make a real difference to people living in this area.” 

Ms Goward said the delays had been caused by by design work on the new approaches as well as removing electricity cables.

“Early demolition work was relatively complex as it included the installation of new underground electricity cables and data as well as the removal of overhead power lines, but fantastic progress has been made,” Ms Goward said.

The resulting delays have caused a cost blowout from the original estimate of $5 million to the current estimate of $18.6 million. This will mean a larger a contribution of funds from the state government is needed. 

The project is now being funded by the Federal Government to the tune of $3.25 million, under its nationwide Bridges Renewal Program, with a State Government contribution of $15.4 million.

But “blowout” is not a word the RMS like to use, rather RMS acting Director Mitch Judd stated it was simply “what the job is going to cost.” 

Whether any timber can be salvaged from the bridge is being explored by the RMS. 

Mr Judd said the RMS is looking for an opportunity to recycle the timber. 

“We do not want to provide contaminated wood to the community, so it will be sent away to a recycling firm who will clean it up. 

“We will get access to the good timber for reuse to make a heritage interpretation of the bridge as well as working with the community to see whether there is any interest from groups to obtain some of it.”

Such groups might include local woodworking groups. 

Ms Goward said it would be great to salvage some of the timber from the old bridge.

“It would be great to see some historic interpretations using the original timbers at both ends of the bridge,” she said.

“I think that is what an old city like Goulburn would expect and I am thrilled the RMS recognises the historic value of the bridge as well.” 

Ms Goward said tenders were beong called for – for the construction of the new bridge and would be open for the next two months. 

“Tenders are open for the next two months. We hope for beginnings of construction sometime in July,” she said. 

Member for Hume Angus Taylor said the successful contractor to build the new bridge across the Mulwaree River would be announced soon.

If any local groups want to be consulted about possibel access t the old timber they can contact Southern Projects on 1800 660 880. 

More information on the Lansdowne Bridge replacement is available on Roads and Maritime Services website, while more information on the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program is available at investment.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure_investment/bridges_renewal.aspx.