Renmark Paringa Council has unveiled detailed renders for the replacement of the Twentyfirst Street Bridge.

It has been a priority for Council to ‘build back better’, ensuring the works on the bridge were not a ‘quick fix’ and that the infrastructure would be a more safe and viable asset than the previous bridge.

The comprehensive images and videos provide a glimpse into the future of the vital piece of infrastructure, offering residents a visual representation of the bridge’s features and benefits.

A key design element of the bridge has been the flood resiliency of the infrastructure, and in the event of water inundation, the quick turnaround in being able to safely open the bridge to the public again.

One of the renders of the bridge showcases what the Bookmark Creek area will look like in the event of 120GL flows, with the new infrastructure built higher than the original road meaning it will withstand significantly higher flows.

The designs for the new Twentyfirst Street Bridge complies with Australian Standards, addresses impediments to flow, provides road and pedestrian user improvements, and offers a high level of flood immunity.

The cost of the project will be shared between Council, the State Government’s Local Government Disaster Recovery Assistance Arrangements and the Department of Environment and Water to lessen the burden on ratepayers.

Additional funding supports are also being explored through the Bridges Renewal Program.

BMD Constructions will utilise six local contractors for the project, with an expected $830,000 directly injected into the local economy.

BMD Constructions are anticipated to commence onsite works in August following necessary preparation works from third-party providers.

“The release of these detailed renders is really crucial in being able to showcase this new piece of infrastructure by providing a visual presentation as to what we are working towards,” said Peter Hunter, Renmark Paringa Mayor.

“The flood was a major event which we are still recovering from and the replacement of the bridge has been a significant and a very important part of our recovery.

“It has been a major priority for Council to ‘build back better’ after the flood, and make sure we provide infrastructure to the community that is a significant improvement on what we had previously.

“Council wanted to make sure that all of our flood recovery projects will be better equipped to withstand future flooding events.

“It has been extremely important for Council to do this planning process properly to secure this asset for many, many decades to come.

“Council also took the opportunity to make the area more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, and make the bridge a key link into the town for a range or differing modes of transport.

“We look forward to the construction phase of the project kicking off in the coming months and will continue to update the community on any developments.”