TENDERS OPEN: The bridge on the New England highway will be replaced.
Plans to build a new bridge over the Hunter River at Aberdeen are back on track with tenders for the major works project now open.
A Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) spokesperson said the government had provided the funding for the bridge as part of a $43 million higher mass limits package.
This will allow work to start on a replacement bridge crossing the Hunter River on the New England Highway at Aberdeen, 13 kilometres north of Muswellbrook.
“The New England Highway crossing of the Hunter River at Aberdeen provides an important link to the Upper Hunter, with an average of 8,500 vehicles using the crossing daily,” the spokesperson said.
“RMS is now calling tenders to build a 9.4 metre wide, two lane bridge over the Hunter River, as well as approach roadwork on the New England Highway.
“The contract also includes designing and building reinforced soil walls on the bridge approaches and building a shared path under the new and existing bridges along the southern bank of the Hunter River.
“As part of the project, intersection upgrades will be carried out at Blairmore Road and Hall Street.
“Once the successful tenderer is announced, work is expected to start on building the new Aberdeen bridge later this year.”
The spokesperson said that once the works had been completed, the new bridge would allow vehicles with higher mass limits to travel between Tamworth and Muswellbrook via the New England Highway.
“Higher mass limits is a nationally agreed scheme, allowing semi-trailers and B-doubles carrying higher mass loads to access approved routes
throughout the country,” the spokesperson said.
“The bridge for southbound traffic was built in 1893 and due to its age, is unable to carry higher mass limit vehicles.
“The existing northbound bridge will be demolished when the new bridge is opened,” the spokesperson said.
For tender information visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au