It will cross the Macleay River and floodplain and is a key aspect of the 14.5km Kempsey bypass. It is being built by the New South Wales (NSW) government within a project budget of US$626 million provided by the federal government.

The total length of the bridge was originally planned to be 2.2km but a redesign led to it being extended by 1km, which makes it the longest bridge in the country. “Not only will this be the longest bridge in Australia but the change to the design means the project will open to traffic one year earlier than expected, in 2013,” said roads minister David Borger.