$290,000 for Prince Alfred Bridge memorial

The NSW Government will provide $290,000 to develop a memorial for the former Prince Alfred Bridge timber road viaduct at Gundagai.

The 711-metre timber bridge, first built in 1896, carried traffic across the Gundagai floodplain until it was closed in 1984 and then removed last year due to public safety concerns.

The planned memorial would include two locations with tourist features to pay tribute and celebrate heritage, cultural and social significance of the former viaduct while creating new tourism features for Gundagai.

Memorial features to be funded by Crown Lands will include:

• An interpretation panel with text and photos on the history of the bridge at a public viewing area off Sheridan Street overlooking the floodplain.
• A public gathering area on the floodplain off O.I. Bell Drive with recycled bridge timber used to create seating and decorative bollards, a reinstated bridge trestle, and a heritage interpretation panel with text and photos.
• 3D online model recreating the sights and sounds of the former bridge that would be accessible via a QR code on the interpretation panels.

If further funding becomes available Crown Lands will consider extra elements including wire sculpture artworks at both locations and more seating and decorative bollards.

The memorial concepts were developed by heritage architects Conrad Gargett after almost 140 ideas were put forward by Gundagai residents to help remember the bridge.

Work to construct the memorials is expected to commence early 2023 following the finalisation of design works.