Over US$228 million will be invested in the bridges to open up the Clyde River to tourism and ease road congestion around Batemans Bay. The newly announced funding includes US$12 million in this year's budget to used for planning, investigation and design work to determine the best options to replace both bridges.
Minister for roads, maritime and freight Melinda Pavey said that the bridges form part of important corridors that motorists use to access the south coast. Traffic is only going to get busier, especially between Sydney, Canberra and the coast. “We could either keep throwing more and more money at maintaining bridges built for the 1950s and 60s, or we could set up the infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond,” she said. “Using modern materials and design standards, these new structures will be built to have a 100-year lifespan. The new bridges will be far superior to those they are replacing in terms of safety and strength.”
