Rural bridges upgraded under Accelerated Capital Works program

Published on 22 February 2021

Upgrades to three of Launceston's rural road bridges are being undertaken as part of the City of Launceston's Accelerated Capital Works program.

The Council has allocated more than $800,000 to overhaul the Snake Gully Bridge, Patersonia Bridge and Upper Blessington Bridge. In recent weeks, the former Snake Gully Bridge — previously constructed from steel and timber — has been replaced with a contemporary concrete bridge.

The timber piers supporting the Patersonia Bridge have been replaced with concrete piers, and the concrete deck has been replaced. The old concrete deck from the Patersonia Bridge comprises three parts and will be repurposed to create footbridges in parks around Launceston.

In coming weeks the Council will also begin work to replace the existing Upper Blessington timber bridge with a modern, concrete version.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said rural bridges were important pieces of community infrastructure, and it was important to ensure they kept pace with contemporary standards.

"The City of Launceston manages more than 90 bridges across the municipality, many of them in rural areas," Mayor van Zetten said.

"They are critical transport links and I'm pleased we've been able to bring these three projects forward as part of our $40m Accelerated Capital Works program."