Kempsey Bridge

To minimise the impacts to motorists, work to install load testers on the bridge will be carried out between 7pm and 5am on Thursday 17 August 2023 and is expected to be completed in one night, weather permitting.

Single lane, alternating traffic flow arrangements and a 40km/h speed limit will be in place during this work with intermittent stoppages required. Motorists should allow for delays up to 10 minutes.  

Transport finished installing about 600 steel brackets with 3000 bolts in June. Work continuing on the bridge in the coming months includes:

• durability coating on piers
• carrying out concrete deck repairs  
• replacing all bridge joints
• resurfacing the bridge deck  
• removing scaffolding  
• removal of compound area and equipment.

View the August 2023 project notification (PDF, 375.46 KB) for more information.

Kempsey Bridge, which was built in 1959, is a steel truss bridge over Macleay River at Kempsey. The bridge is an important link between west and south-east Kempsey, and the Pacific Highway.

The bridge has been experiencing fatigue cracking and is due for a major maintenance to provide a safer and longer lasting road.

Maintenance work will include:

• steel fatigue rehabilitation to bridge girders
• waterproofing bridge deck
• placement of asphalt on the bridge deck
• application of durability coating on exposed concrete surfaces
• replacement of seven expansion joints

• August 2023 project update (PDF, 375.46 KB)
  Night work and on-going maintenance work on Kempsey Bridge.
• December 2022 project update

  On-going maintenance work on Kempsey Bridge.

• May 2022 project update
  Major maintenance work on Kempsey Bridge.