Bill Chalmers is confused.
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He can’t understand why the Roads and Maritime Service would knock down Charleyong Bridge, having watched extensive repairs to it over the past three years.
“This bridge, even if they never do anything to it again, it’ll be here for another 100 years at least, and it could be a marvellous tourist attraction,” the Nerriga resident said.
The bridge will be demolished as part of the RMS Timber Truss Bridge Program.
In its place, a modern concrete structure will be built upstream, with funding from the NSW Government’s Bridges for Bush Program.
Built in 1901, Charleyong Bridge is an example of the Allan Truss type, common to the ACT and NSW.
It is listed as a heritage item on the 2014 Palerang Local Environmental Plan, but not on the State Heritage Register.
As it no longer meets meet loading standards, and its maintenance costs are significant, it will be demolished.
Continuing the bridge’s maintenance would affect Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council’s ability to allocate such funding towards other infrastructure projects, said a council spokesperson.
An RMS spokesperson said the agency had found structural deficiencies in the bridge that led to the decision to demolish it.
While the option to maintain the existing bridge was considered, the agency judged that ongoing maintenance to keep the bridge safe and stable would be too expensive.
Instead the existing bridge will be archived sustainably, with some parts to be displayed at the Braidwood Museum.
President of Braidwood Historical Society Peter Smith said the group did not oppose the bridge’s demolition.
After meeting with the RMS, the society agreed that if the bridge cost too much to maintain, it should be demolished.
Mr Chalmers, however, believes the bridge is an important part of the region’s heritage, sitting on a once important route.
“It’s part of the history of the town, you know, and it is actually on the historic wool road,” Mr Chalmers said.
“It was on the heritage list, but it was quietly removed.”
He said continuing maintenance costs should be at a minimum as “the public doesn’t have to walk on it any more. It could just sit there and just be admired.
“It would definitely be a tourist attraction, and we need all the tourist attractions we can get up here. It just seems so senseless when this is a historic town.”