Roper Gulf Regional Council is pleased to announce that the new and improved Rocky Creek Bridge in Borroloola will be open to traffic tomorrow, Wednesday 23 December 2020 at 9:00am.
Completion of the 9.5 metre high two-lane bridge comes at a crucial time, before the Christmas holiday break and before water levels in Rocky Creek exceed the detour road that has been put in place for the interim.
Work was slightly delayed last week due to the large amount of rainfall, making it difficult for contractors to lay the bitumen on the road. However, contractors on site were able to complete this on Monday morning with a break in the rain and kept progressing to the completion of the project.
Before construction, the height of the Rocky Creek Bridge would flood after large amounts of rainfall and traffic would need to take a 30km detour around Rocky Creek to get from one side of town to the other.
The bridge has been built to minimise the potential for road closures that often occur due to floods in the wet seasons and to limit the disruption caused to the Borroloola community and daily visitors.
Roper Gulf Regional Council Mayor Judy MacFarlane said that the completion of the Rocky Creek Bridge has been a long time coming for Borroloola.
“I want to thank the residents in Borroloola for their patience over the last four years since this project first came about, and for their cooperation in using the detour road while construction was taking place.
“I know that everyone involved in this project will be happy to see construction complete and I look forward to seeing the benefits it has for the Borroloola community and other key industries in the wet seasons,” said Mayor MacFarlane.
Bridge access is currently restricted to light vehicle access only for the first week of being open, as to allow suitable curing time of the seal. Trucks and heavier vehicles please use the detour road or the longer access loop to avoid the new bridge bitumen surface for the initial week.
Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to thank the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government and the McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust who contributed funding for this project.
An official opening ceremony will be organised for February 2021, to celebrate the completed work when everyone has returned from the Christmas break.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Roper Gulf Regional Council on (08) 8972 9000