Council is acting to improve vehicle access into and out of Allansford.
Improved access into the town was flagged in the Allansford Strategic Framework Plan from 2021
Currently, most access to and from Allansford is via the Princes Highway – which has a speed limit of 100kmh at Allansford. There are three access points: Garibaldi Lane, Grauers Road and the Ziegler Parade Bridge.
Motorists leaving Allansford via Garibaldi Lane and Grauers Road leave a 50kmh speed zone and turn into the highway where traffic is moving at 100kmh.
The Ziegler Parade Bridge provides the only option for motorists to merge with west-bound traffic. However, this bridge, first constructed in the 1870s, is nearing end-of-life.
The bridge has operated with safety restrictions since 2011 when a 14-tonne weight limit was applied to the bridge.
In 2017 the bridge was closed for a month while it was assessed for flood damage. Concrete barriers were subsequently installed on the bridge as a safety measure, the bridge was closed to east-bound traffic and the speed limit was lowered to 20kmh.
In May 2025 Council resolved to invest up to $400,000 to maintain the bridge in a safe state until the end of 2029, at which point the bridge will be closed.
At the meeting Council also resolved to:
- work with the Department of Transport and Planning to seek to reduce the speed limits on the Princes Highway around Allansford to improve safety around significant intersections in to and out of Allansford;
- lobby the Department of Transport and Planning, local State and Federal Members of Parliament, and Ministers responsible for roads, for upgrade improvements to the design layout of the Garabaldi Lane/Princes Highway intersection and Grauers Road/Princes intersection;
- complete design works for safe access to the property directly west of the Ziegler Parade Bridge, from the Princes Highway;
- undertake community engagement to inform the community of the planned closure of Ziegler Parade Bridge;
- close the Ziegler Parade Bridge on 31 December 2029, unless closure is otherwise required before this date due to deterioration of the bridge to a level no longer deemed safe for bridge access to continue; and,
- develop a Transport and Access Strategy for Allansford to provide longer-term recommendations to support traffic flow in and around Allansford in line with potential future growth and development of the area.
Why close the Ziegler Parade bridge?
From an engineering perspective, the bridge is nearing end-of-life.
An engineering assessment carried out in 2024 categorised the bridge's overall condition as "poor".
This assessment reflected the combined effects of ageing and environmental exposure on the structure. The bridge features original concrete barriers characteristic of 1930s CRB (Country Roads Board) designs which do not meet the containment strength or geometric standards of current bridge codes.
There is also cracking and spalling (fragmenting of concrete) evident on the bridge structure.
From an economic perspective, Council is not in a position financially to fund a new bridge and with a modern bridge on the Princes Highway adjacent to the old bridge, obtaining external funding is not an avenue open to Council. This is why Council is focusing on improving access at Garibaldi Lane and Grauers Road.
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