The construction of the new Dubbo Bridge, dubbed the biggest infrastructure project in western New South Wales by the federal government, continues to progress, with one third of the concrete deck now in place.
The deck will eventually support traffic crossing, with the federal and NSW governments investing $263.2 million to deliver the infrastructure on the Newell Highway in Dubbo.
When completed, the decking, which is currently being built in sections, will span 660m, with each section involving the pouring of about 105 cubic metres of concrete to provide a deck slab of up to 25 cm in depth.
“It is exciting to see the new bridge rapidly taking shape and I’m proud to see the Australian and NSW governments’ investments delivering for regional communities,” federal transport minister Catherine King says.
“New infrastructure like this is critical for the growth of regional communities and it will set Dubbo and western NSW up for the future.”
The deck pours will continue to occur progressively while the bridge takes shape, with the final deck pour expected mid next year.
Following this, the final step will be adding an eight cm thick layer of asphalt.
Pile driving was also recently completed across the structure, which crosses the Macquarie River and a section of the floodplain east of the river.
A network of roads linking the bridge to the Dubbo road network are underway, including widening roads at the intersections of Whylandra and Thompson streets, as well as River and Bourke streets.
“This bridge will provide vital flood resilience and unlock more housing in Dubbo – providing essential infrastructure for an estimated 5,500 homes,” NSW regional transport and roads minister Jenny Aitchison says.
“The NSW government is proud to be partnering with the federal government to deliver this project, supporting nearly 1,500 direct and indirect jobs in western NSW.
“On my recent visit to see the bridge I saw how transformative this bridge will be to Dubbo and I thank the workers who have given so much to this project and I thank the people of Dubbo for their patience.”
The entire project is expected to be finished in late 2026.
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