Axedale Bridge reopens after being destroyed by flood water

A heavily-used regional bridge destroyed in last week’s flooding has already reopened thanks to a local construction company.

Axedale Bridge after being destroyed by floodwaters in recent days.

THE Axedale Bridge — a major regional thoroughfare destroyed after a raging Campaspe River washed chunks of asphalt from its surface last Thursday — has already reopened after a private company completed emergency repairs in just 48 hours.

VicRoads asked Avard Civil, a Bendigo civil construction company, earlier this week to help repair the bridge, saying it could otherwise remain closed for over a month given the extraordinary damage flooding has done to Victoria’s road network with thousands of large potholes appearing and sections of road destroyed.

The closure of Axedale Bridge cut the McIvor Highway between Bendigo and Heathcote and forced residents to take alternative routes on roads damaged by flooding and used by quarry trucks.

There are currently 423 roads closed across the state and VicRoads structural engineers are inspecting more than 100 bridges and structures.

VicRoads said the Axedale reopening is the largest emergency road repair project completed since one of the worst floods in memory cut a swath through regional Victoria, leaving residents displaced and isolated, towns inundated and rivers at record levels.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews this week announced a $165 million fund for an “emergency road repair blitz”, however the final damage bill will not be known until floodwaters subside.

Avard Civil general manager Norm Sheahan said the company delayed other projects and diverted resources, staff and equipment to the site, with a crew of about five working two 14-hour days this week to get traffic moving again.

After removing rubble and silt, 1000 tonnes of cement-treated rock was used to plug the gaps and give the road a temporary surface before permanent works are able to be completed.

“VicRoads said it was going to be a long-time road closure and the bypass roads have come under heavy weather and to have a massive influx of traffic on them was a recipe for disaster,” Mr Sheahan said.

“Some parents were keeping kids home because they did not want to risk driving the extra 30 minutes on more dangerous roads.

“(Avard Civil owner) Glen A’Vard grew up in the area and knows the critical infrastructure needed to keep the community going, so he jumped into action as he wanted to get it done before the next lot of rain hit.

“The school principal called to thank us and said the stress of using the detours and the conditions of those roads were stressing families.

“It was a common sense solution all around.”

Axedale Bridge repaired after being destroyed by floodwaters.

The temporary surface will hold for up to two months if traffic, and particularly trucks, do not repeatedly hit it at high speed. It is believed Victoria Police will target speeding in the area until repairs are completed.

Local resident Shane Kellow said the rapid action had “made a lot of people very happy”.

“To get it open in 48 hours is unbelievable. The water went over the bridge and made a hell of a mess and it makes a big difference for us,” he said.

“The alternate route not only added a lot of time to each trip but is also not safe, it’s windy, hilly, there’s kangaroos and it’s in very poor condition. Plus a lot of quarry trucks, B-doubles and tippers that use it.”

Avard Civil has now turned its attention to mending damage to the currently closed Bridgewater-Serpentine Road. That stretch of bitumen and the Loddon Valley Highway, which is also closed, are the two main access points to Bendigo from Kerang and Boort.

In good news for residents in flood-stricken areas of northern Victoria, BOM senior meteorologist Kevin Parkyn said the revised predictions for the remainder of the week reduced flood risks in those areas where waterways were continuing to rise.

However, the BOM said a series of thunderstorms predicted to run through central and North East Victoria on Friday and Saturday, bringing 30mm to 60mm of rain, had the potential to turn rivers into torrents and cause flashflooding.