Edmondson Street railway bridge update

Wagga Wagga City Council is working on an interim solution to reinstate the retaining wall that supports the footpath and road pavement on the northern approach to the Edmondson Street railway bridge after a section failed this week.

Council crews had closed off the outer southbound lane and footpath on the bridge earlier this month after the pavement and footpath slumped.

Director Infrastructure Services Warren Faulkner said the busy railway bridge will remain open.

“It’s safe to drive on the inside southbound lane, which is why we have the outside lane closure in place, with pedestrian access available on the western side of the bridge,” Mr Faulkner said.

“We will continue to inspect and monitor the situation regularly to ensure the safety of the travelling public.”

Earlier this month, Council crews met with representatives from the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to assess the area.  After the retaining wall gave way on Sunday 13 November, the ARTC temporarily closed Edmondson Street between Edward and Erin Streets on Monday evening to remove redundant overhead power lines that ran along the rail corridor and were impacted by the collapse of the retaining wall.

Mr Faulkner said the failure of the retaining wall was due to age. Council is now assessing the best option for a short-term solution.

“The dilemma associated with the repair of the retaining wall is that this bridge and its approaches would be raised as part of the Inland Rail project,” Mr Faulkner said.

“On the last advice we received from Inland Rail, construction on the proposed Albury to Illabo section of the Inland Rail Project, which includes the upgrade of this bridge and its approaches, is expected to commence mid 2024.”

Council will investigate ways to shore up the outer lane pavement to enable the four lane, two-way traffic flow to resume.