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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10 months
Life span of works
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Mid-late 2025
Expected completion date
Project updates
Works have resumed on the new Melville Ford Bridge, with the next closure set to come into effect later this month.
From Monday 20 January 2025, crews will be finalising the piers and abutments, building the new bridge deck and completing road works approaching both ends of the bridge.
The current bridge will be closed to traffic during this time, with work set to be completed by early spring.
Construction timeframes may be impacted by adverse weather and river conditions.
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.
