A new bridge in the Noosa hinterland has been officially opened.
The Six Mile Creek Bridge, between Pomona and Cooran on Pomona-Kin Kin Road, opened to traffic late last year but a ceremony was held this week to officially recognise the milestone.
The new bridge allows for a lane of traffic to travel in each direction, removing the need for motorists to stop and give way. Flood immunity has also been improved.
The new bridge was built to the west of the original single-lane timber bridge. During construction, traffic continued to use the old bridge.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton said the long-fought-for project was testament to what could be achieved by the community standing together.
“This has been a long journey of persistence and hard work that emanated from a meeting as a Noosa councillor with locals Phil Moran, Brian O’Connor, Stephen Hilditch and Gympie MP Tony Perrett, as Pomona was in our neighboring electorate then,” she said.
“When elected, I made a commitment to have this bridge replaced, and am thrilled that this has been realised.
“Construction started in late October 2022 and is now completed well ahead of schedule, and I thank the previous Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey and all involved, from agency staff through to construction workers and contractors.”
Many longtime residents attended the opening, including Ron Green, who was pleased to see the bridge officially opened.
“It’s a long overdue project that the locals are extremely happy with, giving safe access to essential services in town,” he said.
Ms Bolton also made special mention of 97-year-old Jim Grant, who was the first non-construction worker to walk across the new bridge, just as he did at the age of nine when the original opened in 1934.
“All the changes he and other fellow longtime residents have seen in our area over the years, and the wisdom they carry, is invaluable as we move forward,” she said.
“Thank you for the patience of those impacted by its construction as well everyone’s efforts over this long journey of many years to see this dangerous and flood-prone hotspot remedied.”
Ms Bolton said that following the decommissioning of the old timber bridge, the Department of Transport and Main Roads ensured any reusable timber was repurposed to help repair other bridges on the state-controlled network.
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