The historic Edwards Bridge should be replaced, so long as it looks the same as what's already there, the South Warrnambool Community Association says.
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The city council last week announced the city's second oldest bridge had reached the end of its lifespan and was in need of major repair or replacement - the cost of which could be as much as $3 million.
Five options were unveiled ranging from total replacement to major restoration - but councillors were told that keeping the bridge would be more costly in the longer term.
Association president Bill Hicks said they were happy for the bridge to be replaced in the same way the Hopkins River bridge was.
After a long drawn out saga, the Hopkins River bridge - which was originally built in 1895 - was eventually replaced with a new but similar-looking structure in 2000, albeit with wider spans.
"It has to be replaced, so there's no option to that," Mr Hicks said. "We're quite happy if it's going to be replaced, it's made safe. That's the number one important thing.
"What we'd like is it kept in the same style as what's there."
"If we could have an outcome similar to the Hopkins River Bridge, I think everybody would be quite happy."
Despite being built in 1895, the bridge does not have heritage listing.
Mr Hicks said the old timber bridge had probably come to the end of its life and the council had spent a lot of money on it.
"It's probably due for replacement, but the community would just like something similar put back that's all," he said.
There were options being considered by the council to keep the existing bridge for recreation purposes and building a second one to the north and realigning the road to cater for that.
However, the association wasn't keen on the idea because of how the road would have to be realigned and how it might impact on the playground and Norfolk Island pine trees.
"We would not like to see the playground altered," Mr Hicks said. "We fought hard to get that playground so we wouldn't like to see the playground changed at all.
"The bridge would have to be replaced in the same position it's in.
"It's a timber bridge and it's down near the ocean.
"Wood and water don't work very well together."
Feedback on The Standard Facebook page to the idea has been mixed with a number of the different options favoured by readers.
Edwards Bridge is about to undergo $80,000 worth of strengthening works.
A report to council has recommended the load limit on the bridge be lowered from 20 tonne to 15 tonnes.
Works carried out in 2017 were aimed at keeping the limit at 20 tonne so that the town's buses could still use it.
The Hopkins River bridge is also about to undergo a $450,000 upgrade to repair corrosion.
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