Speed advisory measures and load limit reductions are set to be implemented for a historical road bridge in Edgecombe, to support its long-term viability and ensure safety of road users in the short term.
Hodge’s Bridge is a circa 1880s structure located along Boundary Road, bordering both Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) and Macedon Ranges Shire Council (MRSC). It is heritage-listed under both councils’ planning schemes for its impressive bluestone abutments and piers.
Specialist assessments had found the bridge’s structures to have been deteriorating over the years. Interim measures will see the bridge’s load limit reduced from 12 tonnes down to 2.5 tonnes, with an advisory crossing speed limit of 20km/h.
With a recorded low volume of traffic and only a small number of nearby residents, these interim changes will mean that vehicles under the new load limit will still be able to safely use the bridge, until a more permanent, long-term solution is investigated. For vehicles over the load limit, detours will be in place via surrounding roads, with only minor delays expected.
MASC and MRSC will continue conversations around the bridge’s long-term future and update the community accordingly.