Council will be undertaking bridge rectification and road rehabilitation works on Ivan Jack Drive in Wagga Wagga’s city centre in early 2025.
At its Ordinary Meeting on Monday 28 October, Council agreed to use funding from its Bridge Replacement Reserve and Civil Infrastructure Reserve to fund the bridge rectification works.
The budget for the road rehabilitation works is included in Council’s existing annual roadworks program for 2024-2025.
The Ivan Jack Drive Bridge, built in the early 1960s, spans the Wollundry Lagoon, linking Trail Street to Best Street.
Director Infrastructure Services Henry Pavitt said the bridge recently underwent its five-yearly inspection and, while it is structurally sound and safe, it was determined that it requires some stabilisation and structural works.
“The rectification works include stabilisations of the wing walls, which hold the soil around the bridge, and structural improvements to the bridge abutments at either end of the bridge,” Mr Pavitt said.
“This will involve placing precast concrete tilt panels under the existing bridge structure supporting the existing piers, with the tilt panels to be placed on a new strip footing.
“Major excavation will need to be carried out on each bridge abutment to restabilise the ground conditions.
“To allow this to happen safely, we’ll be closing the bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic.”
Once the bridge rectification is completed, the focus will shift to the road rehabilitation phase, covering the length of Ivan Jack Drive from The Esplanade-Best Street intersection to the Johnston-Trail streets roundabout.
As part of this phase, the road, kerb and guttering and footpath will all be lifted to the existing heights of the bridge structure, to address the uneven approaches onto the bridge.
At this stage, the project is set to start in January 2025 and is expected to take five weeks to complete, comprising three weeks for the bridge rectification works and two weeks for the road pavement, kerb and guttering and footpath work.
“Due to the nature and extent of the works, we will be closing Ivan Jack Drive for both phases of the project,” Mr Pavitt said.
“Detours will be in place and the road will be under traffic management control.
“We understand this is a busy stretch of road for motorists travelling between the southern and northern parts of our city centre, as well as for residents who use the bridge to cross the Wollundry Lagoon.
“We are planning to carry out the works in January during the summer school holidays and into early February in an effort to minimise the impact on traffic.”
Council will provide an update to the community once a start date for the works is finalised.
