He said a new double-lane bridge would deliver economic benefits because it would encourage development, particularly on the NSW side.
“We need a bridge that’s going to see us into the future,” he said.
Swan Hill mayor Les McPhee at the Swan Hill Bridge.Credit: Erin Jonasson
The Swan Hill Bridge is one of 32 crossings that span the Murray River. A joint report by the NSW government and VicRoads in 2018 identified it as the top short-term priority for investment of all Murray crossings between the two states. The report described the bridge’s condition as poor.
The single-lane river crossing is known as a lift bridge because it has a section that is hoisted when paddle steamers need to pass underneath.
The lift mechanism still works, but the bridge requires extensive repairs every year with reinforcements supporting the original timber.
McPhee said a new bridge would also use more current technology that would reduce traffic delays when boats need to pass through.
Another lift bridge downstream at Tooleybuc. Credit: Erin Jonasson
“A new lift span would be a lot quicker and reduce the amount of time the traffic has to stop.”
The bridge’s heritage listing in both Victoria and NSW is an impediment for the replacement project.
McPhee wants Heritage Victoria to revoke the heritage status of the Swan Hill Bridge and apply it instead to a similar structure in nearby Tooleybuc, which also straddles the Murray River.
However, new river crossings do not come cheap. Last year a new bridge connecting Echuca and Moama was completed at a cost of $323.7 million.
McPhee said a new Swan Hill bridge would be cheaper because no new roads would need to be built.
Transport for NSW confirmed it is working on designs and alignments for the new bridge, which will determine a cost estimate for the project.
A spokeswoman said the federal government had contributed $60 million, but further funding from the NSW and Victorian governments would also depend on the preparation of a business case.
She said maintenance costs on the Swan Hill Bridge had reached about $1.5 million a year since 2005. The spokeswoman said removal and replacement of the bridge required the approval of heritage regulators in both states, although NSW had an in-principle agreement subject to an application.
A Department of Transport and Planning spokeswoman said it was working with the NSW government to ensure the bridge was fit for the future and the planning process would take into consideration its historical significance.
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The department confirmed the bridge’s heritage status could not be transferred to another bridge due to the rarity of timber truss style bridges in Victoria.
A spokesman for the Victorian government said it was working on plans with NSW to improve the crossing between Swan Hill and Murray Downs.
But Quayle said the replacement could not come soon enough because the current bridge was disintegrating beneath the heavy traffic.
“It’s feeling the weight of the B-double trucks,” he said. “The traffic is getting too much for the state of the bridge.”
Quayle, who is 85 years old, just wants to see a new crossing built at Swan Hill during his lifetime. He hopes that is not a bridge too far into the future.
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