Between October and December 2022, there were significant flood events in the Macquarie Wambuul and Bell river catchments that resulted in major damage to the river banks where the two rivers meet. Gobolion Street sustained significant erosion, and some parts of the Duke of Wellington Bridge abutments were also affected by erosion.

As a result of this damage, both the street and the bridge are currently inaccessible to both vehicles and pedestrians. For the safety of the community, access to this area is currently restricted.

After the flood events, Council commissioned technical reports from specialised engineering consultants at SMEC Australia Pty Ltd. These reports were specifically requested to assess the extent of the damage and to explore potential options for repair.

Key findings from the report:

• The bridge structure is in good condition, with some scouring at the southern abutment, and minor damage to a steel railing. Both of these identified defects are reasonably straightforward to repair. In general terms, the bridge is in sound condition and able to meet its serviceability requirements.
• The report identified that a river training strategy, to relocate the confluence of the Bell and Macquarie rivers further downstream of the bridge and road approaches, should be considered essential to any planned road, bridge and drainage reconstruction.

Customer requests and complaints have been received regarding accessibility to the bridge from within community, which have also influenced their decision making.

The bridge will remain closed to traffic for an extended period, early conversations with stakeholders influenced the recommendations for a temporary solution.

The construction of a temporary footpath to facilitate pedestrian access and connectivity across the river was identified and budgeted in late 2023.

Consultations have taken a few different forms across our early investigations for options. They include;

• Agenda and discussion items with the Wellington Town Committee on preferred options

We have undertaken independent reports to understand what options are available to us, these include:

• Riverbank erosion studies for environmental impacts and protection.
• Bridge treatment options