EUNONY BRIDGE A WIN FOR REGIONAL FREIGHT
Today’s opening of the Eunony Bridge near Wagga Wagga will boost freight movement and provide better access between the Sturt and Olympic Highway.
Member for Riverina, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the new bridge was a key piece of infrastructure for the Wagga Wagga High Productivity Freight Route.
“The upgraded bridge is designed to take trucks off local Wagga Wagga streets with the new route created to cater for all trucks right through to road trains,” Mr McCormack said.
“The new route can save up to 36 minutes or 21 kilometres for vehicles on a round trip.
“The bridge will provide better access from the Sturt Highway to the Olympic Highway as well as the Bomen Industrial Park and Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics Hub.
“We are investing in our post-pandemic future by delivering lasting infrastructure which will kick-start our economic recovery and benefit Australians for years to come.”
New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the two-lane bridge, which spans the Murrumbidgee River, had been strengthened and widened from 7.3 metres to 10.6 metres, improving road safety and reducing the potential for crashes.
“The new bridge now meets the standards for Heavy Mass Limit (HML) vehicles and will provide safer access for commuters and locals in the suburbs near the bridge,” Mr Toole said.
“The Eunony Bridge is a critical piece of infrastructure for the logistics route in and out of Bomen Business Park, servicing the planned development of the Bomen intermodal hub.
“The project will build on the connection of Wagga Wagga with key freight networks linking road freight from the east coast to South Australia and Adelaide via the Sturt Highway with rail freight between Sydney and Melbourne via the Main Southern railway line.”
Wagga Wagga Mayor Greg Conkey said the Eunony Bridge was a key asset for heavy vehicle traffic bypassing central Wagga Wagga.
“Its load limit has been increased from 62.5 tonnes to 160 tonnes, which now unlocks the ability to re-route heavy vehicles away from the Wagga Wagga CBD,” Cr Conkey said.
“The original bridge was built over 40 years ago and was not designed to accommodate today’s heavy vehicles.
“The new bridge represents a key road and freight linkage for industry, tourism and the local community.”
The project took approximately six months to complete and opened to traffic on 2 September 2020.
The project has been jointly funded, with the Australian and New South Wales governments each committing $4.906 million and Wagga Wagga City Council $828,000.