Vehicle access to Redwood Forest via Cement Creek Road Bridge is anticipated to be restored in late December, 2023, as we finish major bridge and pedestrian works.
In recent years the popularity of the Redwood Forest has increased dramatically. The increased in traffic including tourist buses has necessitated the need to upgrade the bridge.
The will provide improved safety for visitors to the Redwoods Forest by increasing the load capacity of the bridge, as well as the addition of a new access way for pedestrians alongside the bridge.
Council contractors recently poured the new concrete base for the bridge, and are working on the final stages of construction ahead of the late December re-opening (weather dependent).
The plan to replace the bridge was delayed by a landslip on the Warburton Highway, caused by flooding in October, 2022.
The machinery to dismantle the former bridge and begin installing new components was too large to deliver to Warburton via the detour route while VicRoads’ landslip works took place.
This $1.3m project has been funded by three sources:
· The Federal Roads to Recovery Program
· The Federal Bridge Renewal Program
· The Victorian Government
Once the bridge is fully upgraded, Parks Victoria will also commence their facility upgrade works inside the park.
These works include:
· Adding more car parking spaces
· Constructing an accessible public toilet facility
· Installing a visitor safety gate
· Constructing a visitor weather shelter
· Formalising sections of the existing trail network
