New Fitzroy River Bridge

Flooding generated by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in December 2022 and January 2023 caused significant damage to the sections of Great Northern Highway at Willare Crossing and Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley.

At Fitzroy Crossing, the Fitzroy River Bridge, just east of the townsite was significantly damaged, along with 500 metres of road, cutting access to Aboriginal communities east of the Fitzroy River as well as the East Kimberley and Northern Territory.

What's Happening

Project Update - December 2023

The Fitzroy River Bridge has officially opened to traffic and is a welcome relief for the people of Fitzroy Crossing and the wider Kimberley as the next wet season approaches. Find out more in our latest Project Update.

New Fitzroy River Bridge opened 10 December

The New Fitzroy River Bridge over the Martuwarra River at Fitzroy Crossing will officially opened to traffic on Sunday 10 December, more than six months ahead of schedule.

Main Roads and the Fitzroy Bridge Alliance thank the local community for its support and involvement in this critical project.

Project Update – November 2023

The New Fitzroy River Bridge continues to make steady progress with the bridge on track to open by the end of the year. Work is continuing around the clock as we prepare for pedestrian and vehicle access. For more information on this, as well as our ongoing work in the community, please view our latest Project Update.

New bridge to be open by the end of 2023

The New Fitzroy River Bridge will open to all traffic by the end of 2023, more than six months ahead of schedule. This early opening will provide assurance to the local community and freight industry ahead of the next wet season.

Construction is progressing at a rapid rate with the entire bridge deck now substantively complete.

Works are now underway on the deck surfacing and safety barriers, as well as road construction works on both bridge approaches.

We will continue to keep the local community and freight industry updated on the progress of the works and a further announcement on the details of opening to traffic and timing, will be made in the coming weeks.

Two-lane low-level crossing closure – from 7am Wednesday 13 September

The two-lane low-level crossing, currently used by all vehicles and pedestrians to get across the Fitzroy River, is now CLOSED.
All traffic must detour onto the recently upgraded single lane crossing, 4km upstream of the new Fitzroy River Bridge via Forrest Road, Russ Road and Yurabi Road.
The detour is accessible 24 hours a day for all vehicles with the exception of road trains and Over Size Over Mass (OSOM) vehicles over 20 metres long which, for safety reasons, can only access the detour between daylight hours of 6.30am and 5.30pm.
Road Trains and OSOM vehicles over 20 metres long arriving outside of these hours will be required to park up at the road train break down areas on either side of the Road Train Assembly Areas on Great Northern Highway.
Heavy Vehicle Operators should refer to the latest HVS Update 34-2023.
A bus service has been re-established, between the Joy Springs Community and the IGA. A copy of the timetable is available here.

Bridge deck launch underway

The first segments of the new Fitzroy River Bridge deck are being launched, marking a major project milestone.

A launchpad is located on the western side of the river, on to which the deck components are being assembled, before being launched in stages. Launching the bridge deck from this side of the river means construction should not be affected by the upcoming wet season and rising water levels.
Our latest animation, shows how the bridge is being launched before being connected into the existing road network.

Project Update – August 2023

Our latest Project Update newsletter is available to view. The update marks the substantial progress that has been made in recent months and provides a lookahead to bridge launch activities, scheduled in September.

Removal of temporary two-lane crossing

The temporary two-lane low-level crossing, currently open to all vehicles adjacent to the new Fitzroy River Bridge, will be removed in mid-September with all traffic diverted onto the old low-level crossing.
The old low-level causeway is being upgraded to cater for all vehicles including road trains and oversized vehicles and will remain open until the river levels rise. Once water levels rise and the river is navigable, the barge ferry service will be reinstated to transport passengers and light vehicles.
The two-lane crossing needs to be removed before the wet season to remove the risk of the steel casings being washed into and damaging the new bridge. It will also allow embankment protection works to be undertaken on the riverbank.

Pier installation passes the half-way mark

Pier construction on the New Fitzroy River Bridge is over 50% complete, with four of seven piers now in place. We are on track to complete the substructure concrete build (piers and pile caps) by the end of the month, allowing the bridge deck launch to commence in early September.

Students launch into bridge mural

In late July, ten talented art students from Fitzroy Valley District High School visited the worksite to paint a mural on the launch nose for the new bridge. The students worked over two days to create the seven-metre-long artwork.

The mural features elements from the student's’ own artwork to tell the story of the Fitzroy Valley including the contrast between the harsh wet and dry seasons, the many communities that call the Fitzroy Valley home and the Fitzroy River’s rich biodiversity.

With the mural complete, the launch nose can be temporarily attached to the front of the bridge. It will then guide the bridge segments across the top of the piers, as they're pushed across the river to the other side.

Piling complete

Piling for the New Fitzroy River Bridge is complete and the first four of 28 pre-fabricated pier segments have been installed. Seven piers, which will provide the structural support for the new bridge, are being constructed over the coming weeks as we prepare to launch the first part of the bridge deck in September.
Please view the Joint Media Statement for more information.

Scope