Freight operators are now set to benefit from increased mass limits and wider lanes when travelling through the town of Manildra with the replacement of the new Mandagery Creek Bridge.
Located west of Orange, the 90-year-old bridge has been replaced to meet modern design standards, with the $12 million project utilising an innovative ‘half-half’ construction method which involved partially demolishing and then constructing the upstream half of the bridge, before the process was repeated with the downstream half.
The use of this method ensured there was a continuous single-lane traffic flow across Mandagery Creek for almost the entire construction period.
“The engineers behind this bridge need to be congratulated for their ingenuity -progressively demolishing and building the bridge on the same alignment to minimise disruption to traffic, which is particularly important for local industry and the movement of freight,” regional transport and roads minister Jenny Aitchison says.
“There are now no limitations on freight movements across the bridge, allowing for reduced travel times in getting materials from paddock to processing.
“We want to thank the whole community of Manildra for their support throughout the duration of the project.”
In addition to the bridge itself, a heritage interpretation area to commemorate its history has also been unveiled.
The new build is the third iteration of the Mandagery Creek Bridge, which was first built in the mid-1800s before it washed away in the flood.
The former bridge was constructed in 1930 as its replacement.
“It’s great to see the history of this iconic bridge being honoured permanently,” Labor spokesperson for Orange Stephen Lawrence says.
“The first Mandagery Creek Bridge was built in 1879 and two horse-drawn wagons were the first traffic to cross it, but after 49 years of service it was washed away by floodwater in February, 1928.
“A concrete bridge was built to replace it almost in the same position, which was opened on April 21, 1930.
“But 90 years later that bridge was in poor condition and failing to meet modern design standards. We now have a replacement bridge that meets current design standards and will improve safety for motorists and pedestrians.
The project was finished on time despite extensive flooding to the region in 2022.
The bridge is now open to two-way traffic following the completion of finishing work including new signage, linemarking and fencing.
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