General News
7 November, 2020
John Doyle Bridge officially opens
Even though the John Doyle Bridge has been open for over a week, on Friday, November 6 the Mareeba Shire Council (MSC), along with council staff and The Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Fright Transport Scott Buchholz held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the bridge.
MSC Mayor Angela Toppin said the original John Doyle bridge was built as a single lane bridge in the 1920s and was then upgraded in the 1960s and then in the 1980’s it was replaced again.
“After 30 years the structure was coming to end of its life and MSC in conjunction with the Australian and State Government decided to restore and increase the lifespan of the bridge,” she said.
“I would also like to thank our bridge crew who worked so hard day in and day out. “I’m sure this new bridge will provide a safe and reliable transport route for our community for many years to come.”
Repairs were originally scheduled to start in June 2019 but had been delayed several times to avoid congestion when road works started on the new lights on Byrnes Street. Work finally began in June of this year, with more delays announced for the reopening of the bridge in September. The bridge was finally open to traffic on Friday, October 30.
One question that locals have been asking is why do the barriers not go up and down like the old bridge?
A council spokesperson said “The new bridge is built to a standard, current bridge safety standards require bridges to have permanent barrier systems,” they said. “Human safety is more important than flood debris and the new bridge has been built to withstand flood debris.
“There is a big difference between designs standards in the 1980s and now.”
MSC Mayor Angela Toppin and The Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Fright Transport Scott Buchholz and the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the John Doyle Bridge.
