Timber bridges get set for the chop

FOUR timber bridges on Manks Road in Dalmore will next year be replaced with concrete ones so load limits can be increased.
The $6.6 million project will cover a total length of 500 metres and span Cardinia Creek, Cardinia Creek Catch Drain, Deep Creek and Deep Creek Catch Drain.
The works will be undertaken to increase capacity and improve access for the increased number of commercial vehicles that use the route for the asparagus industry.
Eastern Victorian Region MP Johan Scheffer said he was pleased about the project for the asparagus growers in the area.
“The removal of the current load limit will be good news for the surrounding local primary industry, especially asparagus producers who cater for about 95 per cent of the Australian domestic and export market,” he said.
“The peak season for asparagus farming runs from September to December and Manks Road is a main road transport link for the industry so we must ensure that it meets current road standards.”
The road carries more than 1100 vehicles a day, a figure expected to increase in the near future, Mr Sheffer said. Work is expected to start early next year and be completed by August 2010 in time for next year’s peak asparagus season.