“We Told Them This Would Happen”

Frustrated residents have slammed the faulty design which saw the Ted Cunningham Bridge approach collapse over the weekend.

The bridge itself remains intact but several metres of the approach road has been washed away.

The $4.6 million new bridge was designed to replace the old piece of infrastructure and is five metres higher than its predecessor which runs adjacent.

Just days before its collapse residents who frequent the nearby Bowen River Hotel held a Christmas Party and unofficial opening of the bridge at the site.

Shortly afterwards, up to 1.7 metres of floodwaters submerged the area and locals are now saying that they knew the approach to the bridge had structural issues.

“It didn’t surprise any of us,” said Clare Ringland, owner of the Bowen River Hotel.

“We told them it would happen – the bridge itself is fine – it’s the approach that has washed away.”

Ms Ringland said that they had warned workers that the materials they were using to construct the approach was not suitable.

“They were using rock and dirt from the paddock,” she explains.

“Everyone spoke to them and told them it wouldn’t work – you need a cement causeway or to extend the length of the bridge.”

“Locals know the river and where it runs the hardest – this isn’t a natural disaster, it’s a man-made one at the end of the day.

“Mother nature might have taken it out, but man should have made sure it stayed there”

Councillor Michelle Wright attended the scene in person on Sunday and said that the safety of residents was a top priority.

“We never wanted this to happen, and this isn’t good enough, people need to be connected” she said.

“Our first priority is to create access for families, people’s safety is paramount.”

She also said that the bridge “could never have been built to be completely flood proof” but aimed to “build resilience”.

“It’s a higher bridge which means that as the flood water drops, people can get back to normal quicker,” she said.

When asked whether she believed the issue to be a planning or engineering fault, Cr Wright declined to comment.

Council is now working on the old bridge to remove bollards placed there to prevent people from crossing and also repair damage from the recent flood.

Workers were on-site for three hours on Monday to assess damage and it is hoped that a passage will be opened by the time this newspaper hits the stands.

“Council will work to clear the deck of the old bridge from debris once access is gained and install an approach to the old bridge using a gravel stockpile which has been ordered to be placed on-site,” said a statement released by Whitsunday Regional Council earlier this week.

“It is likely that the old bridge will have a reduced load limit once re-opened.”

The approaches to the new bridge require “substantial re-work” and the “abutment will need to be reinstated” – there is no clear indication of how long this will take.

In the meantime, Ms Ringland says she is concerned about how residents will make hospital appointments, herself having surgery booked in two weeks’ time.

She has also had to cancel several accommodation bookings and is losing thousands of dollars as result of the incident.
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Several metres of the approach have been washed away

The Ted Cunningham Bridge before the flood. Photo credit: Crissy Colman

The flooding measured up to 1.7 metres

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