Planning is underway to repair the deck and reopen Pollocksford Road Bridge, connecting Barrabool Road, Gnarwarre with the Hamilton Highway near Stonehaven.
Council workers are working with structural engineers to develop plans to replace the deck of the bridge. Once works are complete a load limit of 20 tonne will still be in place, allowing buses and cars towing horse floats to use the bridge again.
Larger trucks will still not be allowed to use the bridge. Options are being developed to stop these trucks from using the bridge.
Once there are completed designs and a contractor has been appointed, timelines will be publicised, probably not before March 2025 with works expected to start in mid 2025.
Pollocksford Road Bridge has been closed since April 2024, after a routine structural inspection found deterioration had occurred more quickly than expected. The bridge was closed when it was found that heavy trucks continued to use the bridge despite a load limit and speed restriction being in place.
The bridge is on the border of Surf Coast Shire and Golden Plains Shire, so the project is a joint project between the two councils.
Follow this project on the Surf Coast Shire website to keep up with the details.