City of Greater Geraldton to replace Nangetty-Walkaway bridge to meet transport needs

The Walkaway-Nangetty Bridge over the Greenough River is set to be replaced after concerns were raised over safety.

The 59-year-old bridge is a vital artery for freight vehicles in the region currently servicing grain harvest, lime sand, sand mining and other community freight needs by linking industrial and commercial areas to the port.

Despite several remediation works over the years, concerns were raised following an infrastructure audit in 2021 about its capacity to accommodate haulage vehicles, particularly RAV7 road trains.

A decision has now been made for the design and construction of a new bridge after the City secured more than $4.5 million in government funding through the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn thanked the Federal Government for their support, stating the bridge no longer met the needs of the city’s transport industry.

“Since the bridge was constructed in 1964 the transport industry has grown and changed and the use of road trains up to 36.5m long RAV7 on regional roads is now commonplace,” he said.

“I am very pleased the Australian Government recognised the importance of this bridge to our community and economy and I’d like to thank them for providing $4,539,307 in funding from the Bridges Renewal Program to replace it.”

The cost of the new bridge is estimated at more than $8m, with Main Roads also set to provide $1m in funding.

Until the new bridge is put in place, the speed limit on the existing bridge has been reduced to 60km/h to ensure the route can remain open to heavy haulage vehicles.