By Tania Phillips
THE Tummaville Road Bridge in Leyburn and the Sandy Creek Road Bridge south-east of Leyburn have been completed just in time for this weekend’s Historic Leyburn Sprints, one of the biggest motoring events in Queensland.
Southern Downs Community, Towns and Villages portfolio councillor, Cr Sheryl Windle, said that the new bridges couldn’t have opened at a better time and looked great.
“I’m sure that the Leyburn residents and visitors will be very pleased with the end result of these bridges, and particularly happy that the bridges have been completed in time for the Sprints,” she said.
It is anticipated that 15,000 people will descend upon the normally quiet community of Leyburn this weekend, bringing with them heavy vehicles and caravans as well as an array of historic motor vehicles.
The 12-metre wide, 26-metre long Tummaville Road Bridge, which sits opposite the Leyburn town store, was opened on 12 August and includes a pedestrian footpath cordoned off by a barrier to the road.
The bridge and roadworks were completed within the timeframe and within budget at an estimated cost of $1,071,000.
The Sandy Creek Road Bridge opened on 9 August, a month later than scheduled due to wet weather conditions and a release of water from Sunwater.
Previously a single lane timber bridge, the new concrete structure sits at 34 metres long and 8.6 metres wide, now catering for wider vehicles and heavier loads.
This project was also completed within budget at around $1,177,000.
Transport and Infrastructure portfolio councillor, Cr Marika McNichol praised the local community for their patience during the construction works.
“I’d like to thank the local residents and regular commuters for their co-operation over the last four months during the Sandy Creek Road closure period, which made working on the project easier for all those involved,” she said.
The replacement of the Sandy Creek Road and Tummaville Road bridges has been made possible through funding from the Queensland Government’s ‘Royalties for the Regions’ program.
Council was successful in securing $2.64 million from the State Government under the ‘Royalties for the Regions’ program, which made up 75 per cent of the $3.52 million budget to upgrade four old timber bridges (Mullins Road, Bellinghams Road, Sandy Creek Road and Tummaville Road). The balance 25 per cent was funded by council from the 2015-’16 budget.
