When will the troubled Edmondson Street Bridge be closed to traffic? We still don’t know. Photo: Chris Roe.
The planned 18-month closure of Wagga’s Edmondson Street Bridge will be deferred and may not commence until 2026, as different levels of government struggle to reach agreement on how to manage traffic while it’s shut down.
The busy, crumbling bridge is set to be reconstructed by Inland Rail, the federal government body that is building a controversial 1600 km freight train route between Melbourne and Brisbane, and through the Wagga CBD. The height of the bridge is being raised so it can accommodate double-stacked trains.
“Inland Rail has taken the decision to defer the closure of the Edmondson Street Bridge in Wagga Wagga from our initially anticipated closure date in September,” a representative said.
“This decision will allow us to work with the Wagga Wagga City Council and Transport for New South Wales on optimising the Traffic Management Plan for the closure of the bridge, helping us to reduce inconvenience to Wagga Wagga residents as much as possible.
“Inland Rail hopes that the announcement of this decision will give Wagga residents some positive news in keeping the bridge open for longer and delaying disruption to their travel.”
In June, Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr suggested trialling the closure of Edmondson Street for two weeks to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed mitigation measures before the bridge is removed.
Inland Rail has committed to conduct the trial.
Wagga Council says the trial will have to take place outside school holidays and the HSC period to ensure an accurate assessment of traffic and community impacts. It therefore seems unlikely the full 18-month closure could occur before January 2026.
“Under the project’s conditions of consent, Inland Rail is required to obtain approval for the traffic management plan from both council and Transport for NSW,” a Wagga Council spokesperson said.
“Neither agency has provided final approval at this stage.
“Both council and Transport for NSW have made it clear that they will not endorse the traffic management plan until they are satisfied that appropriate mitigation measures are in place to manage the impacts of the Edmondson Street Bridge closure.”
Inland Rail says work on its Albury to Illabo (A2I) section will still take place from September. Works will be conducted around the Edmondson Street bridge by Inland Rail, but the bridge will remain open to traffic.
“Once the traffic management plan has been agreed by the Wagga Wagga City Council and Transport for New South Wales we will be able to share it with the community and advise when a trial closure may commence,” an Inland Rail representative said.
“The A2I section of the Inland Rail project will still be completed on schedule by 2027.”
Wagga Council says it has been working with Transport for NSW and Inland Rail to review potential mitigation options and understand how impacts on the community will be managed.
