Carries Motor vehicles Official name Macleay Valley Bridge Total length 3,200 m Material Concrete | Crosses Macleay River Opened 27 March 2013 Bridge type Girder bridge Body of water Macleay River | |
Locale Frederickton, New South Wales, Australia Other name(s) 'yapang gurraarrbang gayanddugayigu' (long track to the other side) Maintained by Roads and Traffic Authority Location Frederickton, New South Wales Similar Denison Bridge, Nowra Bridge, Harwood Bridge, Martin Bridge, Hampden Bridge | ||
The Macleay Valley Bridge is a road bridge over the Macleay River and its floodplain near the settlement of Frederickton, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge is part of the Pacific Highway new alignment which bypasses Kempsey and Frederickton. The 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) long bridge carries four lanes of traffic; two lanes in each direction, each lane 3.5 metres (11 ft).
It is currently the longest road bridge in Australia. The bridge is constructed of 941 concrete beams supported by 93 piers. Installation of all support beams was completed in October 2012. On 24 February 2013 the bridge was opened to visitors for a preview walk and it was opened to traffic on 27 March 2013.
The bridge was constructed by Abigroup as part of the A$618 million project funded by the Australian Government from the Building Australia Fund.
Bridge name
Following bridge completion, local community has been invited by the Department of Roads and Maritime Services to suggest the name for the new bridge. The name Macleay River Bridge was to be selected if there was no clear preference. There were about 70 names suggested which recognised the history of the area, local people and the community.
In February 2013 the local indigenous Dangghati people requested to name the bridge Yapang gurraarrbang gayandugayigu, which translates in English to a very long track to the other side. The group’s submission received a support of the Macleay Coast Tourism Association and the Slim Dusty Centre.
The final name of the bridge was expected to be announced in 2014.
The bridge was officially named the 'Macleay Valley Bridge' on the 1st December 2015, it has also been given the secondary name of 'yapang gurraarrbang gayanddugayigu' (or long track to the other side) underneath the main name.