Over Engineered Bridge

IN this year’s Council budget there is $2,328,000 earmarked for a new Middlebrook Bridge and the approaches, but local resident John Hind questions if it is overkill.

Mr Hind said while the bridge definitely needs replacing, completely redesigning the approaches is an unnecessary expense to ratepayers.

John Hind questions an overspend on the Middlebrook Bridge.

“The existing weight-restricted single land bridge obviously needs replacement by a reinforced-concrete structure like they have done with the Alec Cone bridge or Stewarts Brook, but I am not in favour of the re-alignment and possibly double-lane bridge proposed,” said Mr Hind.

“They want to take the bends out of the approach and just have a straight approach, but that is a huge expense especially considering there are bends in the rest of the road around it anyway,” he said.

“The widening will lead to demands to widen the whole carriageway and probably increase the number of large heavy quarry trucks that will use the road to save a few kilometres travel, but the Cressfield Road can already accommodate the heavier quarry vehicles,” he said.

The approaches to the Middlebrook Bridge, which Council proposes to redesign.

“On the few occasions when property owners on the road between the bridge and Cressfield Road need a heavy truck delivery, access is readily available via the latter wide and well-sealed road from the highway,” John Hind said.

Mr Hind said despite the hefty price tag, Council engineers could not confirm the design of the bridge.

At $2,328,000, the Middlebrook Bridge is the largest expense identified by Council in the Scone area in the next financial year, with second most expensive item being $700,000 on a Hunter Road S bend reconstruction.

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