Part of a larger upgrades package along the Newell highway, the tired old bridge over the Macquarie river is finally being upgraded.
The federal government says major work is now underway to lay the foundations for the New Dubbo Bridge across the Macquarie River.
The federal and New South Wales governments have jointly funded the New Dubbo Bridge project, which forms part of more than $1 billion in upgrades along the Newell Highway.
The governments say it will improve traffic efficiency, reduce congestion for locals, visitors and the freight industry and improve access across the Macquarie River floodplain during extreme weather events.
Early works on the project started in August 2022 with the Brisbane Street and Darling Street intersection works now nearing completion.
The New Dubbo Bridge is a $220.2 million investment, with major construction now starting and the project expected to be open to traffic by late 2026.
The federal government is providing $176.2 million for the bridge and the NSW government $44 million.
“There is something wonderful about watching a transformative project like this coming together and we know the people of Dubbo will stay engaged with this project every step of the way,” federal transport and infrastructure minister Catherine King says.
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“Early work to prepare the site compound and fence the work area has been ongoing since December and we are now hitting a magical milestone in this vitally important project with the start of construction.”
King says crews are now ready to start constructing the bridge’s permanent supports and 660-metre span.
It’ll start with a drill rig that will bore holes into the bedrock beneath the Macquarie River to guide crews to drive steel tubes about 60 metres into the ground. From there, crews will construct the columns that will hold up the new bridge.
NSW regional transport and roads minister Sam Farraway says the build will help keep the state’s transport network moving.
“We’ve already built the new intersection of Brisbane and Darling streets that will improve traffic flow to the new bridge along River Street, which will be elevated above the floodplain. This is nearly completed and is set to open in coming weeks,” Farraway says.
“Once the 89 piles are installed, the first massive girders would be moved into place from late 2023.
“The bridge will use 123 reinforced concrete girders to provide the framework to hold the approximately 5000-tonne weight of the bridge deck. We will really see this work start to come together in early 2024.”