The replacement of Melville Ford Bridge will help mitigate the impact of minor flooding on Maitland residents. Jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments with contributions from Maitland City Council, the $8.2 million project will see a new dual lane, concrete bridge built over the Hunter River to replace the existing timber bridge. The new bridge will be much higher than the existing bridge and will reduce the time the road is closed in the event of flooding or help avoid road closures entirely.
Funding has been sourced from the NSW Regional Roads Fund ($2.5 million), the Fixing Country Bridges Program ($1.61 million), the Regional Roads Transport Recovery Package ($2.54 million) and $1.61 million from Council.
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$8.2m
Total project budget
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12 months
Life span of works
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TBC
Expected completion date
Project updates
July 2025 - Council can confirm the partially constructed bridge at Melville has sustained damage following May's flood event, which will delay the project's completion date.
While the full extent of damage is still unknown, there has been erosion to the bridge abutments, displacement of the bridge deck beams and large amounts of flood debris on site.
This will delay construction and completion of the new bridge by at least four months however, it is unclear at this stage exactly how long the delay will be.
Council is continuing to work with contractors to assess the site and further updates will be shared once rectification plans, and a new timeframe has been established.
While the timber bridge is closed, please use alternative routes via Luskintyre and Tocal Road, and visit Live Traffic for any updates.
We will continue to keep the community updated via our via our Facebook page, on site signage and this web page.
