The historic Plenty River bluestone bridge is set to be saved and repurposed for pedestrians and cyclists.
This comes as part of Major Road Projects Victoria’s Bridge Inn Road upgrade.
The upgrade involves a new four-lane bridge over the river for vehicles and the convertion of the bluestone bridge into a shared walking and cycling path.
Mernda stalwart Neil Johnson is thrilled that the bridge will be retained.
“As a local I’m well aware of the need to improve local roads to keep up with the growth of the area, and the benefits of the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade for travel times and safety will be unquestionable,“ he said.
“It’s really important the old bluestone bridge will be kept for the community as an asset for future generations.“
Mr Johnson’s great-great-great grandfather, Moses Thomas, officially opened the bluestone bridge in 1867 in one of his many contributions to the area’s early community infrastructure.
A father of 18, Moses Thomas built the local Presbyterian church, the area’s first state school, and the original Bridge Inn Hotel. He also operated a flour mill on the banks of the Plenty River.
When complete, the repurposed bridge will link with other shared walking and cycling paths to provide better connections for active transport in the area.
The new bridge, between Mernda and Doreen, opened with one lane in each direction in December 2023. All four lanes on the 68-metre bridge are expected to be open later in 2024.
The project team will soon turn its focus to the bluestone bridge, preparing it for pedestrians and cyclists.
