THE KALANG River might as well be a moat, with the Newry Island Bridge now set to be out of action for five days instead of two after the structure was found to be in a far sorrier state than first thought.
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Residents will now be unable to use the bridge from early tomorrow morning until Thursday - after a contractor discovered more extensive issues with the only road bridge to the island.
Sympathising with residents, Bellingen Shire Council has come up with an elaborate plan to manage the situation, including arranging for a ferry so that people can still access services and get to and from work.
The revised closure dates for the Newry Island Bridge are from 6am tomorrow through to late Wednesday, with a hoped for reopening at 6am on Thursday.
Council said it understood the inconvenience that these changes may cause to residents which its initial planning sought to minimise.
"However as residents will appreciate, the safety of the community, staff and contractors is the utmost priority in this situation, along with the reconstruction of the Newry Island Bridge as soon as possible," council said.
Council, in conjunction with some community members, has put in the place the following arrangements:
* Council are in the process of arranging the provision of a boat and licenced operator to ferry community members from the island to the mainland and return, which will operate on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It is expected that the pick-up point for the boat on the island will be in Marshall Pl and on the mainland at the caravan park.
* In the event residents don’t have adequate car parking arrangements on the mainland, the provision of car parking for approximately 30 cars has been made at the caravan park (gravel section) for residents wishing to leave a car on the mainland. Residents requiring a car on the mainland and/or
materials for business operations should ensure that the vehicle and/or materials are across the bridge before the closure on Saturday morning. If any tradesmen on the island require storage of materials for business use on the mainland they should call David Fowler on 0418 413-628 and council will assist where possible.
* School buses – council has notified Busways that for the duration of the closure the pick-up and drop-off points should be moved to the caravan park. Busways has agreed to this in principle subject to their site inspection and risk assessment. If Busways cannot accommodate this request, residents will be notified.