The South East Australia Transport Strategy has become aware that Transport for NSW is to reduce the load limit on Hampden Bridge in the Kangaroo Valley from 42.5 tonnes to 23 tonnes.
Transport for NSW in a statement said it was “committed to the continued operation of the 127-year-old Hampden Bridge to allow for safe crossing through the town for community members and visitors to the region. …. Heavy vehicles over 23 tonnes will be restricted from using the bridge and will need to plan a suitable detour.
Vehicles up to 23 tonnes, including buses and emergency vehicles, will not be affected and can continue to use the bridge as normal.”
SEATS acknowledging the historic nature of Hampden Bridge, questions the consultation that took place in making this decision.
SEATS Executive Officer, Greg Pullen, has been contacted by industry, transport companies and the like and have yet to find anyone that has been consulted.
“This route through Kangaroo Valley is one of the few main haulage routes that allow freight to be moved from the coastal plain of the South Coast to the Southern Tablelands of NSW, a vertical lift of between 600 and 800 metres”, Mr Pullen said.
“For some time SEATS has been raising the lack of Escarpment crossings that are available to Higher Mass Limit Vehicles. There is only the Mt Ousley Rd that is suited to the higher
productivity vehicles. Industry that need to move smaller quantities of freight between
Nowra/Bomaderry and those agricultural areas around Goulburn and Canberra use Kangaroo Valley as their preferred route,” Mr Pullen added.
“Produce like milk, stockfeed, livestock, quarry material and other construction materials as well as general freight will be disadvantaged by this reduction in load limits”.
SEATS has resolved to seek to have Transport for NSW explain how the decision to reduce the load limits on Hampden Bridge at Kangaroo Valley were determined and what considerations were given to strengthening of the bridge, traffic management practices and/or determining an alignment for an alternate crossing of the Kangaroo River to allow freight to pass through Kangaroo Valley.
The concern of local industries, including producers from within Kangaroo Valley, is growing and Transport for NSW needs to produce the rationale as to how and why this decision has been arrived at.
