Bangalow’s Byron Creek Bridge is to remain closed until at least Friday this week, with staff saying investigations into its structural integrity are continuing after a recent fire.
The bridge was closed unexpectedly on the afternoon of Friday 9 January after a fire underneath the bridge.
Staff a week later said specialist structural engineers had assessed the bridge and it was hoped the bridge could reopen to light traffic.
‘What we need to determine is the maximum weight load the bridge can cope with,’ Byron Shire Council Infrastructure Services Director Phil Holloway via media release, ‘once we have this information we will know what sorts of cars, utes or heavier vehicles will be allowed to use the bridge’.
Mr Holloway said engineers needed to have full access to the bridge for the work.
Staff said the bridge on Bangalow Road was part of an alternative access to the southern part of Byron Bay and one of the busier roads in the Shire, carrying around 5,000 vehicles a day.
Mr Holloway said the current detours added significant travelling time for drivers.
‘We want to see it reopened as soon as possible but the first priority is always safety,’ he said.
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