New Ripley Road Bridge opens to traffic

A new bridge on Ripley Road is now open to traffic, improving safety for motorists and access for residents.

The single-lane, steel bridge replaces a timber bridge which had to be replaced because it had reached the end of its lifespan and become unsafe.

Ipswich City Council thanked motorists and residents for their patience during construction.

The completion of this project means a detour which has been in place for some time, and which caused concern for residents, has been removed, allowing for direct access to the area once more.

About 500 vehicles use the bridge each day.

The new bridge is an interim structure designed so that it can be reused by council to benefit the community into the future.

This bridge is in a fast growing part of Ipswich and in time it will be necessary to upgrade it with a wider structure to accommodate future growth.

With that in mind, council chose to use a modular, steel bridge design which allows for the bridge girders and deck to be reused.

This was the most cost effective option and will allow council to repurpose the bridge when the time comes to use it either in a permanent location or another temporary arrangement similar to this one.

The new bridge’s single span design means a set of piles which sat in the centre of the creek have been removed, improving water flow and removing a potential blockage point in the event of a flood.

A section of the bridge is lifted into place in April.