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Official opening for new Toms Creek Bridge – 16 JulyFriday 16 July will see the official opening of the new Toms Creek Bridge – A $300,000 project undertaken jointly by Wellington and East Gippsland Shire Councils. By Wellington Shire Council - 12th July 2004 - Back to News Federal member for Gippsland and Minister for Science, The Hon Peter McGauran will officially open the new structure, which has been part-funded under the Federal Government’s Roads To Recovery Program.
Located on the Lindenow-Meerlieu Road, north of Meerlieu, it is a much-needed replacement for the previous structure that stood on the spot – which was beyond repair and had fallen victim to white ant infestation.
The new 46 m long bridge has been designed and built to provide the Meerlieu community with more than 100 years of service.
Wellington is the third largest shire in Victoria geographically and is responsible for around 200 bridges and 3400 kms of roads (equivalent to the distance from Sale to Perth). This huge area leaves it with more assets to maintain in proportion to the resident population size than many other shires.
Roads To Recovery Funding – of which Wellington has successfully won some $2.7 million over the past three years for six bridge projects – is vital to enable the shire to upgrade and replace its bridge infrastructure.
Said Wellington’s Chief Executive Officer, Lyndon Webb: "Here in Wellington we still have some 100 bridges in need of repairs or replacement, plus a long list of road works. These are a priority for us, taking on board community feedback.
"We are delighted with the Federal Government’s help to finance new bridges like Toms Creek, which could not have been replaced without the Roads To Recovery program.
"Regarding the replacement on Toms Creek Bridge, we would like to thank the local community for their cooperation and patience during the construction phase, along with East Gippsland Shire Council for their invaluable assistance with the project."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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