Grose River Bridge DA is Lodged

By Tony Bosworth, Editor Hawkesbury Post

Opening date is expected around 2025

Here is the first artist’s impression showing how the proposed new $25million Grose River bridge will look like when completed – we’re looking at around 2025 before it opens and provides another route over the river – in this case the Grose River.

But the construction does come with some rubbery timelines which have seen the project keep getting pushed back, due to the original agreement between Council and Redbank which revolved around how many plots of land had been sold. In hindsight it was a poor agreement because it has allowed the bridge project to keep pushing out time-wise.

The new bridge will be built at a 1 in 100 flood level, but the roads either side of the bridge could still flood if we have a very high flood.

Should the Part 5 Application be approved by Council the construction of the bridge is required before the release of the construction (practical completion) of residential lot number 1101. But the DA for the construction of the bridge had to be lodged with, and determined by Council, before development approval of residential lot number 801, so there is still a way to go before 1101 lots are completed. And that number has kept moving upwards over the years.

The planned route will run off Grose Vale Road at the junction of Grose River Rd where work will soon start on a roundabout, which will allow Redbank residents to exit their estate and go straight down Grose River Rd.

At the end of Grose River Rd the road will cross Ashtons Rd, Grose Wold, and then a new road will be built through what is currently a home and its farmland, before crossing the river and linking up with Springwood Rd, Yarramundi, where a new junction will be built.

Once completed, the concrete bridge – which will be paid for by the developer of Redbank as part of the Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) with Hawkesbury Council signed back over a decade ago – will allow those who live at Redbank, Kurrajong, Bowen Mountain and Grose Vale and Wold to travel to Penrith or the Blue Mountains without having to go through North Richmond.

The so-called Part 5 Application and supporting information is on public exhibition from today – Thursday – until Monday June 13, allowing for comments to be made before the Application moves along.

All plans, details and related documents can be inspected online here or Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm at Council’s Administration Building, at 366 George Street, Windsor.

You can put in submissions in writing here or addressed to the General Manager, by mail to Hawkesbury City Council, PO Box 146 Windsor NSW 2756, or email to council@hawkesbury. nsw.gov.au quoting reference ‘PT50007/22’.

Submissions may be made up until close of business on Monday, June 13.

You can read more Hawkesbury news at Hawkesbury Post www.hawkesburypost.com.au or facebook.com/hawkesburypost