History was made today when the barriers came down on the new Treendale Bridge and the first cars crossed the direct vehicle link between Eaton and Australind.
The $16.7 million project, which started construction in February 2017, will reduce travel time and pressure on the Forrest Highway and Old Coast Road and increase safety for residents.
Spanning 224 metres long, the new bridge will halve the journey time between the two communities from 20 minutes to about 10 minutes and provide essential access for emergency services vehicles.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said it had been great to see community excitement and anticipation build for the greatly needed project.
“Not only will road users experience the benefits of shorter travel times, the completion of this structure will provide opportunities for improved bus services and a direct pedestrian and cycling link,” she said.
Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke said Millbridge and Treendale were two of the fastest growing areas in WA and connecting the two areas was critical to the local road network.
“The travel distance between the Millbridge and Treendale communities will drop by approximately 10 kilometres, which will make an enormous difference to those travelling through the area,” she said.
The project was jointly funded, with the State Government contributing $9.5 million and the shires of Dardanup and Harvey committing $7.2 million collected from developer contributions.
Features of the 14.4 metre-wide bridge include a steel/concrete composite superstructure that accommodates two traffic lanes, a pedestrian walkway on the western side and bridge lighting.
Possum ropes will also be installed on both sides of the Collie River channel to facilitate possum movements along the watercourse.
The project generated up to 100 jobs during its peak construction period with the steel components of the beams for the bridge fabricated in WA.
The Bridge will be re-named at a later date following a consultation process by the Shire of Harvey with indigenous community representatives.
