Design tenders called for Eunony Bridge replacement project

The first stage of the Eunony Bridge Hub program is out to tender.

The City of Wagga Wagga has advertised for suitable tenderers to make submissions for the detailed design component of the bridge program.

The request for tender is the first step in allowing Higher Mass Limit (HML) vehicles to cross the Murrumbidgee River at Eunony Bridge Road.

The City of Wagga Wagga has secured $9.8M in state and federal funding to build a replacement bridge.

The new bridge is a key piece of infrastructure for the Wagga Wagga High Productivity Freight Route, which will provide better access to the Bomen Industrial Park and connections to the Olympic Highway.

Heavy vehicle traffic will also be reduced from the Wagga Wagga CBD area and has the potential to save up to 36 minutes, or 21 kilometres, on a roundtrip.  

Currently heavy vehicles make up 17 per cent of all vehicle movements across the bridge. By 2025, once the replacement bridge and productivity freight route are complete, heavy vehicle traffic crossing the bridge is expected to reach 45 per cent.

“The City of Wagga Wagga is investing heavily in infrastructure that provides better access to the industrial area at Bomen and capitalises on the city’s excellent location and access to capital cities via road and rail,” Commercial Sector Manager Caroline Angel said.

“Combined, the Eunony Bridge Road Deviation, the new Eunony Bridge, Bomen Enabling Roads and the proposed RiFL Hub, stand to have huge economic benefits for the City.”

The Federal Government, through the Bridges Renewal Programme, and the NSW Government, through its Fixing Country Roads fund, have both committed $4.9M towards the Eunony Bridge Hub project.  

Background and benefits of the Eunony Bridge hub project

• The existing Eunony Bridge is 40 years old and allows a General Mass Limit of 62.5 tonnes, however is not capable of carrying Higher Mass Limit (HML) vehicles
• Engineering reports on the existing bridge recommend that it is not feasible to upgrade the existing bridge due to various bridge elements
• The replacement bridge will be built to a HML classification, allowing HML vehicles to pass
• Supporting infrastructure, such as the Eunony Bridge Road Deviation project and the Bomen Enabling Roads project cater for HML vehicles
• HML vehicles include: six-axle semi-trailers, B-Doubles, B-Triples, Type 1 A-double road trains, AB-triples
• New Eunony Bridge is a key piece of infrastructure for the Wagga Wagga High Productivity Freight Route, which improves access to Bomen Industrial Park and better connection with Olympic Highway
• The Eunony Bridge currently carries more than 4,400 vehicles per day, with a 17 per cent concentration of heavy vehicles
• Heavy vehicle traffic across the bridge is expected to grow by 45 per cent between 2013 and 2025
• The new bridge will remove heavy vehicles from Wagga Wagga CBD area
• Will provide a potential round-trip saving of up to 36 minutes, or 21 kilometres, for HML vehicles.