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New Latrobe River Bridge at Tyers fails hard in recent flooding due by not addressing low road elevations despite warnings

New Latrobe River Bridge in Tyers floods post-opening due to overlooked warnings on road elevation. Residents, experts criticise the government for inadequate planning, demanding a usable, well-built infrastructure for the community.

By news@gippsland - 10th January 2024 - Back to News

Tyers residents rightly rejoiced when the new Latrobe River Bridge opened just before Christmas, but three weeks later it's under water again. The river burst its banks after steady rain, spilling over the road to the south and flooding neighbouring farmland.

New Latrobe River Bridge in Tyers floods post-opening due to insufficient causeway elevation warnings

Warning ignored

The Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said the state government was told the causeway needed to be raised during the bridge build to prevent situations like this. "When the old Tyers bridge shut in November 2022 we warned Labor that plans for a new bridge should include lifting the road, but that clearly fell on deaf ears. It's also clear that even with moderate rainfall the Tyers Road causeway will continue to flood, blocking access to the bridge."

"The owner of farmland next to the bridge told me the paddock which he'd shifted his cattle into hadn't flooded in 30 years - until today. It took more than 400 days to build this bridge and still Labor couldn't get it right. With a bit of due diligence this situation could have been avoided."

"The Minister for Roads and Road Safety needs to listen to the advice of experts and locals and deliver a bridge they can actually use. Labor can't manage money, can't manage infrastructure, and can't even build a bridge for the people of Tyers," Mr Cameron said.

Pictures from Martin Cameron MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com