News

Upper Hunter Shire Council has taken steps to ensure the restoration and ongoing protection of the historic Junction Bridge on Upper Rouchel Road.

Council has been working with Transport NSW on heritage bridges generally and Junction Bridge has been assessed as a state-significant bridge that will be protected.

From July 2020 Transport NSW will take over management of the bridge and restore and maintain it, in line with NSW Timber Truss Bridge Conservation Strategy. The strategy balances current and future transport needs with heritage conservation.

Junction Bridge is a Dare Truss Bridge and is unique due to the crosswise planks. In NSW, this type of bridge was built from 1905 to 1936 with a total of 44 being constructed across the State. There are only 16 remaining with seven bridges currently to be preserved, including Junction Bridge.

The bridge was constructed in 1930 at a cost of £3,274 5s 1p, including the bridge and approaches. In today’s value this is $275,562. The bridge's main span is 70 feet and has two 30 feet composite trusses. The abutments are sheathed with four driven piles and to two driven wing wall piles. The piers are concrete columns and headstocks.

The bridge currently has a 12 tonne load limit in place with a dry weather side track.

Cameron Bridge to be replaced

A new safer Cameron Bridge and road alignment is being built over Rouchel Brook on Rouchel Road just prior to the village of Rouchel.

Unfortunately the old bridge cannot be kept as it will be upstream of the new bridge. In the event of extreme flooding the old bridge could be washed away, crashing into the new bridge, cutting off the road for a long period of time.

Find out more about the replacement of Cameron Bridge.