Town’s footbridge restored with ‘ribs’ from sister village

The project involved an extensive list of works, that included posting of all 24 bridge piles using recycle girders.

Page MP Kevin Hogan, Ballina MP Tamara Smith and Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson with three students from Brunswick Heads Public School.

The South Arm Bridge at Brunswick Heads has officially opened, following a major timber restoration.

The project included an extensive list of works, that included posting of all 24 bridge piles using recycle girders from Council's Bangalow Bridges Replacement Project.

It also included high-strength fibreglass wrapping of every pile and replacement of half the girders, where all new girders were recycled from Bangalow's Five Bridges Project.

The job included replacement of half of the corbels, recycled from the Bangalow Five Bridges Project as well.

80 per cent of headstocks were replaced with new milled hardwood, while 100 per cent of the deck will be replaced by new milled hardwood.

The Abutment 1 was rebuilt, including posting of four abutment piles (recycled), new headstocks, new back wall, road approach works and rock revetment work.

Existing kerb and safety barrier was removed and reinstalled with some components recycled from the Bangalow 'Five Bridges Project' where required.

 

Brunswick Heads' South Arm Bridge before it got its urgent upgrade.

 

A completely new engineered connection system was established across the whole bridge, with re-engineering and reshaping of every timber substructure component (new or existing).

A new, safer balustrade on the pedestrian walkway was set up, which was made using timbers recycled from South Arm Bridge, and refurbishment of the steel cantilevered walkway substructure.

Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the bridge's restoration was jointly funded by the Federal Government under the Bridges Renewal Program and by Byron Shire Council.

"The Bridges Renewal Program supports the upgrading of bridges across the nation which deliver increased productivity and community access," Mr Hogan said.

"The old timber heritage look and feel of the historic bridge has been retained as much as possible, which included replacement of old, decaying timbers with new or repurposed timbers from previously dismantled bridges in Bangalow."

"It also enabled access to local beaches, parks, homes, facilities and connection to the town."

 

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Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson said Council was proud of the project.

"The bridge's restoration was essentially an entire rebuild from the ground up with intense traffic conditions at times, which presented enormous challenges," Cr Richardson said.

"Not only have we delivered a re-engineered and structurally superior bridge with a much higher load rating for Brunswick Heads and its visitors, the timber features are absolutely beautiful.

"On top of this, what a great recycling story this project has been."

Thanks to some innovative thinking by Council's engineers, seasoned hardwood timbers recycled from bridge replacements in Bangalow were used in this upgrade, while new homes for the old South Arm Bridge timbers were found for other Council and community projects around the Shire.

The project was jointly funded, with the Federal Government committing $607,530 and Byron Shire Council committing $607,530.