Residents living west of Montgomerys Bridge have had to detour 16km each way around the bridge since November 2020.
Five years later, they been told, Montgomerys Bridge will be pulled down in October and work on a new bridge will start before Christmas.
At the Kyogle Council August meeting, a tender for the demolition of the old steel and timber bridge was accepted.
The new $3.3million bridge will be built in the same place as the old bridge and should be open by mid-2026.
The new three-span Montgomerys bridge will be 54 metres in length and five metres wide.
The bridge’s substructure will feature reinforced concrete abutments, and concrete bored piles and central piers. The structure will be made up of concrete planks, with deck cast in-situ.
For safety reasons, the new bridge will have a guard rail system as part of its design.
Kyogle mayor Danielle Mulholland said the council was thrilled to announce that work on the new bridge will start soon.
“Council acknowledges that the bridge closure has not been easy for Ghinni Ghi and Iron Pot Creek Road residents and we thank them for their patience and understanding,” Ms Mulholland said.
The grant package of $12million from the Regional Roads Program means the council can replace 12 bridges, including Montgomerys, in its bridge replacement program.
This information was provided by Kyogle Council.