Yarrawonga-Mulwala: MDBA called on to help solve roadworks delays

An alternative crossing between Yarrawonga-Mulwala has been closed since October last year creating major delays.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority is refusing to budge on calls for a short-term reopening of the weir bridge between Yarrawonga and Mulwala to offset the reduction to one lane of traffic on the main traffic bridge between the two towns.

Farmers, truck drivers and residents are facing delays of more than an hour as roadworks are carried out on the Yarrawonga side of Lake Mulwala.

The weir bridge, which is controlled by the MDBA, provided a second lake crossing for the Murray River towns up until October last year before shutting for safety reasons.

More than 11,000 vehicles including B-double trucks cross the main traffic bridge daily.

The roadworks are due to be completed before the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

But livestock and grain carrier Kevin Keenan, who has endured delays of more than one hour in recent days, said an easy solution would be for the MDBA to reopen the weir bridge.

“It’s absolutely bureaucratic bloody mindedness,” he said.

“They’ve got no idea how a country community like ours works.

“Yarrawonga and Mulwala aren’t two towns, we’re one place and rely on that access across the lake.”

But the MDBA confirmed today the weir bridge would remain shut.

“The safety of the weir is the MDBA’s top priority and it was closed to traffic in October 2021 to preserve the weir for the future,” MDBA acting executive director of river management, Dr Andrew Kremor, said.

“We understand that the closure has caused inconvenience and frustration for some in the community and reiterate that the closure is needed to preserve the structural integrity of the weir and the safety of workers.”

Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy slammed the lack of communication about the impact of the roadworks.

“I fully understand the work has to be done,” he said.

“But I haven’t seen anything anywhere to say, be aware, this is going to happen, make alternative arrangements, don’t try and come over during school times.

“There is never a good time to do roadworks in the middle of Yarrawonga, but at least they haven’t done it in the middle of the January school holidays.”