LOOKING BACK: Dangerous North Creek Bridge abandoned in 1970

NEXT in our Looking Back series, in the lead up to The Northern Star's 140th birthday, we look at the history of bridges connecting Ballina and Lennox Head.

The Lennox Head Bridge on North Creek Road was abandoned in 1970. Photo The Northern Star Archives. Picture: The Northern Star Archives

THE NORTH Creek bridge once provided the only connection between Ballina and Lennox Head.

The bridge, built in 1906, replaced a ferry that crossed the creek.

The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in August 1970 due to rotting wooden piles near the waterline.

Repairs were estimated at $15,000 and were not expected to be completed before Christmas 1970.

The bridge was never repaired and was abandoned as dangerous in 1970.

Two bridges now cross North Creek.

Missingham Bridge, a concrete structure built in 1985 at the junction of North Creek and the Richmond River, was built to replace an existing timber structure.

Re-enforcement work was completed in 2006, the cost reported to be $2million.

Prospect Bridge, carrying Angels Beach Road across North Creek, was built in in the early 1990s, providing a second crossing upstream of Missingham Bridge.