Calls for the William Bradford Bridge have are being led by Member from Cootamundra Steph Cooke following a third serious crash on the road in 5 years. Photo: Supplied.
Following a serious collision between a fuel tanker and a semi-trailer on the William Bradford Bridge last Thursday, Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has called on her state colleagues to either scrap or upgrade the infamous structure.
Dubbed by many as the most dangerous bridge in the Riverina, the William Bradford Bridge has been the site of three serious incidents (crashes with more than three people injured) since September 2019.
In September 2024, the bridge recorded a collision involving three vehicles, including one towing a caravan. In September 2019, the most chaotic of the three incidents occurred when a bus crashed. The accident left 28 people injured and a 65-year-old woman in critical condition, as well as an eight-year-old boy with serious fractures.
The most recent incident occurred about 5:30 pm last Thursday. Emergency services responded to a collision between a fuel tanker and a semi-trailer, which forced the closure of Burley Griffin Way between Wallendbeen and Murrumburrah for several hours.
“This could have been catastrophic,” Ms Cooke said.
“We are lucky we’re not mourning a tragedy today. But how many more close calls, crashes and injuries do we need before this government acts?
“The government has had the structural assessments. They’ve had the accident reports. They’ve had the warnings. Yet still, they fail to act.
“This is a matter of life and death. How many incidents and injuries will it take before they finally prioritise the safety of our community?”
The bridge, built in the early 1930s, is a critical link on Burley Griffin Way and hosts hundreds of heavy vehicles and commuter movements every day.
Seen as narrow, outdated and unable to safely accommodate modern traffic volumes, it has become a repeat crash site and a deadly bottleneck in the heart of regional NSW.
Ms Cooke said the government’s inaction was a betrayal of rural road users.
“Last week we recognised National Road Safety Week, yet here we are again, watching another major crash unfold on a stretch of road that’s long been identified as unsafe,” she said. ”The NSW Government cannot continue to ignore their responsibility.
“They owe it to every driver, every family and every first responder to stop delaying and start delivering. This bridge needs to be widened or replaced, and it needs to happen now.”
Ms Cooke will raise the issue with Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison this week when Parliament resumes.
