Violet Street Bridge to close next week

The Violet Street Bridge replacement is set to take a significant step forward with works to get underway on the project next week.

The project’s work site was established this week, with the bridge to be closed from January 19 prior to the start of demolition works from January 21.

A detour will be in place along Selina Street, Newell Highway and Tibbereena Street for the duration of the works, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2026, dependent on weather and other factors that may affect the timeline.

The bridge replacement is being undertaken by Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd, which was awarded the contract at November’s extraordinary council meeting.

Prior to works, Narrabri Shire will host a “Brekkie on the Bridge” event on January 20. Locals were selected by ballot to farewell the bridge.

Mayor Darrell Tiemens said the current structure had served the community for more than 50 years.

“The original bridge opened in May of 1975 and, as we know, has seen many floods – including two flood events last year alone,” Cr Tiemens said. “Despite the impact of these events, the bridge is still standing today.

“But now, due to age, declining load capacity and the need for improved flood efficiencies, the time has come where a new structure is needed to continue to serve our community.

“The new bridge will be a safer, wider bridge with unrestricted load capacity, which will cater for all vehicles along with pedestrians and cyclists – including a separate shared pathway on each side of the new structure.

“This will ensure the new Violet Street Bridge will again cater for our community for many years to come.”

The new structure will also decrease the time required to remove barriers during flood events – reducing disruption times for residents and road users during these events.

Council’s general manager Eloise Chaplain thanked the community for their patience and understanding while works on the new bridge take place.

“Council will continue to work with all those who may be affected by the upcoming construction works, including residents, the local school, bus companies, businesses and emergency services,” Ms Chaplain said.

The $7 million bridge replacement project has been made possible with the contribution of $5 million through the Infrastructure Betterment Program jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.