After relying on a bow and arrow to stay connected to the outside world, it’s no wonder Torryburn residents were eager to drive over the town’s new bridge when it opened ahead of schedule on Friday.
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It’s been almost a year since resident and archery instructor Matt Brown launched the arrow, trailing a rope, into the western levee bank so they could erect a flying-fox pulley system to travel in and out of the town.
The rope design allowed residents to pull themselves against the current in a small tinny while a milk crate hung above it to deliver supplies.
Before that happened, Sean Oliver was using his surfboard to cross the river upstream.
After moving to a temporary pedestrian bridge over the crossing in May, and a 15 kilometre detour road in June, residents were keen to watch the concrete bridge take shape and use it at the first opportunity.
That chance came when Dungog Shire Council allowed traffic to pass on Friday, more than a week before the scheduled March 11 opening.
It came after residents argued they should be able to use the bridge because it had been finished and the site was no longer a construction zone.
Caitlin Armstrong was among the residents who noted the road approaches were better than the gravel detour route.
The council decided to allow traffic on the bridge last week after it received the necessary certification and verified that the road approaches were safe enough to travel on at reduced speed.
Work is still being done on the road approaches and guardrails, and there will be temporary closures this week.
The bitumen is expected to be sealed on Wednesday, with closures of up to two hours, and work on the guardrails will begin on Thursday.
Dungog Mayor, Cr Harold Johnston, said council staff and contractors worked hard to restore access as quickly as possible.
"It will give the Torryburn community a chance to get back to some normality …
They've had a tough year,” he said.
The loss of the bridge left dairy farmers Joe and Lewis Brennan without an income for six weeks.
The milk tanker couldn’t get in to pick up the milk until June 6, after the temporary road finally opened.
Miniature pig breeders Chrystal and Peter Griffiths lost business when buyers failed to understand their isolation and withdrew from their commitment to buy a piglet.
They said taking the piglets to the vet had become a huge inconvenience because they had to travel an extra 60 kilometres in a single day.
They put their business up for sale, but are yet to secure a buyer.
“It’s been unbearable, we haven’t understood why it has taken so long,” Mrs Griffiths said.
The concrete bridge, which is expected to cost $1.5 million, has been designed to withstand a large flood and will need little maintenance over the next 60 years.
Civil Bridge and Wharf, a Victorian-based company, secured the tender in September and made most of the bridge off site. The bridge deck was concreted in January. The bridge is expected to cost $1.5 million.
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