THE condition of the Moyne River bridge in Port Fairy continues to be closely monitored to ensure it remains a safe passage in and out of the town.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The bridge has withstood a busy workload as Port Fairy’s population swelled with thousands of summer holiday tourists.
Maintenance work will be carried out on the bridge next week, something that has become a regular occurrence on the structure.
And while the maintenance work has given the bridge a patch work appearance, it meets the safety requirements.
Moyne Shire Council manager of engineering and design Leah Johnston said a consultant was engaged last year to gauge the lifespan of the bridge.
It was found it still had 10 years ahead as long as council continued its maintenance work on the structure.
This work happens every two to three months and involves the tightening of bolts that may have loosened and the checking of the condition of boards on the bridge deck.
While the patchwork nature of the bridge deck has little impact on cars, it is a little more difficult for cyclists.
The council currently has an application in for funding through the Bridges to Recovery program and if successful this money will be used to put in a new deck to ensure a smoother surface for cyclists in particular.
Ms Johnston said the large number of visitors over the last month put a strain on the bridge.
“There has been a significant volume of traffic over the summer period and that has had a big impact,” Ms Johnston said.
“That is why we will be working on it next week, we keep a close eye on it and keep the maintenance right up to date.”
Ms Johnston said when the time comes to build a new bridge it will be a multi-million-dollar project and may be built in a different spot along the river.
The current bridge was built in 1902, replacing the original bridge from 1857.