By Jackson Russell
TWO pedestrian bridges are set to be built across the Kilmore Creek on either side of the Northern Highway to improve safety of pedestrians at the northern end of Kilmore.
The bridges and footpaths will be placed on either side of the Northern Highway road bridge over Kilmore Creek to help improve safety for pedestrians from the Clarke Street shopping centre to the Kilmore Caravan Park and future development in the business precinct.
The bridges, which are currently being designed, will be more than 2.5 metres wide to allow for bicycles, prams and wheelchairs to cross the bridge.
Mitchell Shire Council’s Kilmore Pedestrian Footbridge project received $745,000 through the Victorian Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund.
A Mitchell Shire Council spokesperson said the original plan was for a single pedestrian bridge on the west side of the Northern Highway to accommodate anticipated growth and demand in the industrial areas to the north of township.
“The original project included provisions for a pedestrian crossing point north of Kilmore Creek for residents and visitors to the Kilmore Caravan Park,” the spokesperson said.
“Upon successfully obtaining funding through the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund, we took the opportunity to review the project to provide a bridge on either side of the Northern Highway.
“This will eliminate the need to construct a new pedestrian crossing and road widening north of the Kilmore Creek outside the Caravan Park in the future and we were able to reinvest this funding in a second bridge.”
Construction is expected to start in December and the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm said the Kilmore Pedestrian Footbridge project will help people safely cross the Kilmore Creek.
“The site currently has no pedestrian infrastructure and pedestrians risk their safety by walking along the narrow shoulder of the Northern Highway Road Bridge,” he said.
“This kind of infrastructure is important for our community. There are many examples of people trying to cross the bridge at risk but this will be no longer.
“We are investing more in our roads and capital works based on submissions from our community, but we can’t fund it all on our own. I would like to thank the Victorian Government for their partnership in this project through the Growing Suburbs Fund.”
