Important Fitzroy River bridge to reopen to Kimberley traffic next month after WA's worst floods
The Fitzroy River bridge will reopen six months ahead of schedule (Supplied: Main Roads WA)
The Fitzroy River bridge, a crucial transport link in Western Australia's north destroyed by the state's worst flood earlier this year, will reopen next month.
Central Kimberley Communities were inundated in January following Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie, with record flooding displacing more than 300 people.
The floods smashed the Fitzroy River bridge, the only transport link connecting west and east Kimberley.
Main Roads WA confirmed on Thursday that the rebuilt bridge would reopen on Sunday, December 10.
The new-and-improved bridge will be 100 metres longer at 270 metres and carry dual lanes.
The piles supporting the bridge have also been driven to a depth of 40m, compared with 15m for the previous piles.
Work to reopen the bridge has been completed ahead of schedule and before wet season downpours that swell the Fitzroy River.
The bridge over the Fitzroy River was destroyed by January's flood. (ABC News: James Carmody)
A Main Roads WA spokesperson said the re-opening would provide assurance to the community, freight industry and tourism operators.
"While an early start to the wet season is not currently forecast, should river levels rise substantially the new bridge can be opened at short notice," they said.
The rebuild was funded by the state and federal governments, with Fitzroy Crossing locals upskilled to fast-track the process.
Relief after 'very difficult' time
Shire of Derby West Kimberley President Peter McCumstie welcomed news of the bridge opening as a "game changer" for the Fitzroy Crossing community.
"It's a great, great event for the people of Fitzroy Crossing, who have been living under very difficult circumstances since the old bridge got washed away,"he said.
"Having a permanent bridge back in place is also going to be an absolute game changer for what's been going on for the last eight months in regard to transportation of all sorts of freight and goods."
The Fitzroy Bridge Alliance recently welcomed 55 students and teachers from Wangkatjunga Remote Community School as part of their Schools Program. (Supplied: Main Roads WA)
Mr McCumstie said despite a difficult 10 months the silver lining was a huge employment boost for residents in a town with some of the highest unemployment in WA.
He said he was hopeful job opportunities would continue after the bridge was complete.
Lessons to be learned
Western Roads Federation chief executive Cam Dumesny said that the transport industry was delighted to hear the news.
"Back in January we were talking about the bridge rebuild not being finished until 2025, so to be here within the year up and running again is fantastic," he said.
Cam Dumesny said there were lessons to be learned from the Fitzroy River bridge's rebuild. (ABC Perth: Asha Couch)
The speed of the construction can be put down to a method Mr Dumesny believes is the first time used in WA.
"The technique they used was to put the piers of the bridge in during the dry season, then they built the bridge on a launch platform and pushed it out across the piers," he said.
Mr Dumesny said he hoped to now see a national approach to freight resilience.
"In many ways the Fitzroy bridge loss was symbolic of the disruptions we're getting right across our freight routes," he said.
"We really need to get serious about how we build resilience in the transport industry because the community really bore the brunt of the freight disruption of the bridge.
"There's got to be a better way of doing things."
