Photo caption: The historic bluestone bridge over Plenty River.
A Mernda descendent of local pioneers is keen for the Bridge Inn Road upgrade to improve safety while also retaining the heritage of the historic bluestone bridge over Plenty River.
Major Road Projects Victoria and construction partner Laing O’Rourke are delivering a new four-lane bridge over the river and transforming the 125-year-old bluestone bridge into a shared walking and cycling path.
Neil Johnson, the great-great-great grandson of Moses Thomas who officially opened the bluestone bridge in 1867, said he was thrilled the upgrade would improve safety and travel time but also retain the bridge.
“It’s really important the old bluestone bridge will be kept for the community as an asset for future generations as part of the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade,” he said.
“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.”
A father of 18, Mr Thomas built the local Presbyterian church, the area’s first state school, and the original Bridge Inn Hotel.
He also managed a flour mill on the banks of the Plenty River.
The repurposed bridge will connect with other shared walking and cycling paths to enable better relations for active transport in the area.
The new bridge between Mernda and Doreen opened with one lane in each direction in December, with all four lanes on the 68-metre bridge expected to be open later in 2024.
The project team will soon look at the bluestone bridge, preparing it for pedestrians and cyclists.
The bridge and path work complement the upgrade’s construction of extra lanes in both directions between Plenty and Yan Yean roads.
While the upgrade will deliver more reliable travel along Bridge Inn Road, it will also improve access to Mernda’s train station and town centre, as well as boost safety and connect communities across the growing outer northern suburbs.
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