Work starts to upgrade the historic Victoria Bridge at Picton

26 October 2020

A Transport for NSW Spokesperson said the work is being carried out the upgrade to improve longevity and reduce future maintenance costs of the heritage-listed bridge.

"The Victoria Bridge was designed by civil engineer Percy Allen, and opened to traffic in the late 1890s," the spokesperson says."

"The bridge features the tallest trestles in New South Wales and is one of the oldest surviving bridges of its kind.

"To preserve the life of this rich piece of history and to ensure it meets the relevant safety standards for current and future use Transport for NSW will upgrade the bridge in two stages."

Stage one involves bracing the bridge and replacing the timber top chords that support the bridge, as well as repairs to the guardrail and height restriction structure after a recent heavy vehicle crash.

This work will be carried out from Monday 19 October between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday, and will take around three months to complete.

During this time, temporary road closures will be in place and the bridge will be closed for up to 17 days between November and December as night work is carried out to install temporary supports.

Traffic will be detoured via Menangle Street, Colden Street, Margaret Street, the Old Hume Highway and Argyle Street.

In the event of an emergency requiring the bridge to be used as an evacuation route, work will stop and the bridge will be reopened to vehicle traffic.

The bridge will remain open to pedestrians, and resident access will be maintained via Prince Street.

Transport for NSW will notify the community prior to these closures.

Stage two of the upgrade will be carried out mid-next year and involves replacing the timber support trusses that hold up the bridge.

For more information on this project, visit the Victoria Bridge upgrade project page.

Transport for NSW thanks the community for their patience while this important work is carried out.