$14m to replace Melville Ford Bridge

The timber bridge will be replaced with one that is higher, wider and better able to withstand extreme weather events.

Funding for the project comes from all levels of government, with $2.5 million from the federal and NSW governments under the Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package and $1.6 million from the NSW Government's Fixing Country Bridges Program.

There is also an additional $2.5 million from a state election commitment, $1.61 million from Maitland City Council, and $6 million from the NSW Government which the council will use to rebuild to sections of Maitland Vale Road and a section of Melville Ford Road.

Over the years the bridge has regularly had to undergo repairs, and most recently was heavily damaged in the 2022 flood and closed for months for repairs.

Work on the new bridge is expected to begin this year and finish in 2025, taking about 30 to 40 weeks to complete.

It will be at least 2.5 metres tall, but Maitland council intends to make it as high as the budget allows, so it could be slightly higher, subject to detailed assessment.

Maitland's three government representatives member for Paterson Meryl Swanson, member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison and Maitland mayor Philip Penfold come together on Monday, April 15 at the site to make the announcement.

Ms Aitchison, who is minister for Regional Transport and Roads, said the new bridge will improve community connection.

"It's great to be here at Melville Ford Bridge, this is a bridge that has been washed away a number of times over the years, has suffered substantial damage in the flood, so this is a project that's been a long time in the making," she said.

"Having a single lane timber bridge in a very flood prone location has not given our community the ability to be resilient during floods."

Cr Penfold said being higher, the bridge will flood less often.

"It will mean less time because it's a new improved concrete structure... it's a structure that we have more confidence in and will need less regular checking after flooding events so it will be closed for less time after those floods," he said.

"As far as time frame goes the council is ready to make a determination on the tenders this month in April, as far as that detailed design and that construction, and we expect to see with the support of the state and federal governments this funding to have work on the ground here this year."

Ms Swanson said she's looking forward to the new bridge, to keep everyone in the region connected.

"Whilst the bridge is a grand old girl at the moment, she has well and truly seen better days and it does need to be improved," she said.

"I think anyone who lives around here and uses it regularly will say that it's well overdue, so I'm just delighted to be partnering with the NSW Government as a representative of the federal government, and showing that when all three levels of government work together; local, state and federal, you can do things like the Melville Ford Bridge and the roads that surround it to make connections better for our community."