The usually peaceful Watagan Creek Road, Laguna saw much more activity than usual last Thursday with the craning in of a new timber bridge.
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The full bridge replacement saw the existing 7.4-metre structure completely removed and replaced, including high-tech laminated components.
It was lifted in and secured in place by specialist bridge technicians.
Cessnock City Council design delivery manager Katrina Kerr said every effort was made to ensure there was minimal disruption to the adjacent conservation area.
“Access at the bridge site was tricky, and required careful planning,” Ms. Kerr said.
“This new bridge is expected to have a 50-year life and will solve access issues for residents who live in this beautiful area.”
Regular inspections revealed the existing bridge was deteriorating and in need of extensive repairs or replacement in September 2014.
A 7.5-tonne load limit was imposed on the bridge due to the severely decayed condition of some components, with a further reduction to 3.5-tonne recently.
Replacement of the bridge is now complete and is open to traffic.