Funding for more than 100 bridges and culverts across Australia’s eastern states will provide engineering assessments to support the upkeep of local council assets.
One hundred and fourteen bridges and 11 culverts across 33 different councils in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are ear-marked for the assessments.
The funding is part of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).
The federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said “the structures were selected based on whether the locations were on priority freight routes and would deliver potential improved access for heavy vehicles”.
In Victoria, bridges in five council areas will receive engineering assessments with Northern Grampians Shire Council topping the list. In NSW, Shoalhaven City Council has 18 bridges that will be assessed with 17 councils with bridges awaiting assessment. And in Queensland, 11 councils’ structures are on the list for assessment, with Livingstone Shire Council with the most at nine.
When the assessments are done, councils can use this information to apply for funding for the upkeep of their bridges or culverts. This latest funding brings SKGAAP’s total number of assessments to 590 across 88 councils and takes the total funding up to $20 million for this initiative.
For the detailed list of bridges and culverts visit here.
Image: McConnell Dowell was the principal contractor responsible for upgrading 21 bridges in South Australia. Source: McConnell Dowell
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.