New Horsearm road and rail bridges

Massive pre-cast concrete culverts have been making an impressive sight on the skyline of the outskirts of Narrabri for several months.

The culverts waiting alongside the railway track crossing Horsearm Creek will form a new rail bridge and remedy what has been a perennial flood damage issue at the site.

The big culverts under the new rail crossing will take a greater volume of water than the old, much smaller culverts which were quickly overwhelmed when Horsearm-Doctor’s Creek floodwaters swept through.

“The works to replace the timber bridge at Horsearm Creek will occur in August 2020,” ARTC’s general manager asset management Andrew Betts said.

“Initially works were due to be undertaken in the planned rail maintenance closedown in February.

“However, Narrabri received heavy rainfall the weekend prior, so the works were rescheduled for the next suitable closedown.

“We have been replacing smaller timber bridges with concrete culverts (like the ones pictured) to reduce the impact to the community, by reducing construction time, noise and vibrations.

“Replacing this bridge will reduce the maintenance effort required for the existing structure and significantly improve the safety of our railway inspectors, workers and users by providing a new structure, including an accessible walkway and handrail.

“Residents will see the contractor mobilise approximately a fortnight before the August rail closedown, with the appropriate health controls in place depending on the status of COVID-19 at the time.

“The replacement will occur in the closedown which spans 96 consecutive hours, however, works may continue in the area for up to a month afterwards.”

The ARTC rail crossing is just downstream of the old Horsearm Creek timber bridge which is scheduled for replacement by a new structure soon.

“The council is currently finalising the tender documents for the bridge and also for the Spring Creek bridge on the Bald Hill Road,” Narrabri Shire Council infrastructure delivery director Darren Raeck said.

“Council has recently completed the relocation of the power lines over the existing bridge to facilitate the construction and is also investigating options to upgrade the rail level crossing to an active crossing on the bridge approaches with bells and lights. The Horsearm Creek Bridge on Narrabri’s eastern outskirts is one of the oldest in the shire, long earmarked for restoration or replacement.

Generations of travellers have used the bridge when it was part of the old Newell Highway and generations of local people have travelled across it on the way to the old cemetery, Narrabri racecourse, Bailey Street and Little Mountain.

Now the historic bridge is to be replaced.

New steel-reinforced, concrete bridges will be built at Horsearm Creek and Spring Creek.

The total project costs for the Horsearm Creek Bridge and Spring Creek Bridge replacements are $1,405,800 and $1,417,900 respectively.