Poor ground conditions and wet weather have caused delays for the Runnyford Bridge reconstruction project. As a result, Runnyford Road will remain closed at the bridge until the end of January 2018
Above: Runnyford Bridge August 2017
Soft ground conditions and high rainfall over the past month has delayed work on the Runnyford Bridge, west of Batemans Bay.
The new timber bridge, originally scheduled to be open before Christmas, is now due to be complete by the end of January, weather permitting.
Council’s Infrastructure Services Director Warren Sharpe said poor ground conditions, heavy rainfall, intermittent showers and ensuring worker safety had caused delays.
“Our crews and contractors have been putting in additional hours to endeavour to complete the project by Christmas,” he said.
“The recent rain has made working at heights, establishing scaffolding in the deeper water and using electric tools and chainsaws more difficult, and we’ve had to implement additional safety measures. At the end of the day, the safety of our team, including our contractors, is most paramount and we want our people to go home to their families safe.
“The poor ground conditions in the last section have also meant we’ve had to put down much deeper foundations requiring the joining of multiple timber piles and driving depths of over 20m into the soft river bed.”
Runnyford Bridge crosses the Buckenbowra River on Runnyford Road, approximately 12 kilometres south of Nelligen.
As works continue, Runnyford Road will remain closed at the bridge.
Council has advised emergency services of the closure and contingency plans are in place.
To keep up-to-date on the project visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/currentworks Media Release
