Demolition of approaches to North Bourke Bridge to go ahead

All the wooden sections of the North Bourke Bridge will be removed under an approved Bourke Shire Council tender worth $413,000. Photo TWH

Bourke Shire Council has been advised the timber approaches to the North Bourke Bridge must be demolished, but community sentiment says differently.

At the Bourke Shire Council meeting on Monday, councillors accepted a tender for the removal of the timber approaches by the end of this year.

The successful tenderer – Sydney-based Delany Civil P/L will be paid $413,000 to demolish the 15 span of timber approaches to the bridge on both sides of the lifting span.

Bourke Mayor Lachlan Ford said the decision to remove the timber approaches was based on a comprehensive inspection by expert bridge engineers who said that the current condition of the timber approaches to the bridge posed a major safety hazard to the public.

“The level of decay is not a new issue, with public access to the northern and southern approaches to the bridge barricaded off in 2015 and 2016.” Councillor Ford said.

“Council has also been working with NSW Public Works and their expert bridge consultants to develop documentation and costings for the restoration of the bridge and the provision of replacement concrete or steel approaches, with a view to Council actively seeking grant funding for the next phase of this major community project.”

In early 2023, council held discussions with industry professionals, and it became evident that the complexities of restoring the North Bourke Bridge were significant.

New South Wales Public Works made a formal report stating the western end approach spans were dilapidated and heavily deteriorated, with no structural integrity remaining. […]

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