Projects

Great Ocean Road bridge replacement at Wye River

We’re building a stronger, wider and safer bridge at Wye River on the Great Ocean Road.

Project status:

Underway

About the works

Construction to replace the Great Ocean Road bridge at Wye River started in April 2024 and will be undertaken in stages.

Update - December 2024

Over the summer holiday period, the Great Ocean Road attracts increased visitation and we are focused on keeping traffic moving safely, ensuring smooth journeys and providing access in the event of emergencies during this busy time.

To support local communities, businesses and visitors on the Great Ocean Road, we are committed to having two lanes of traffic – one for westbound traffic and one for eastbound traffic - available over the holiday period at the site of our bridge replacement project at Wye River.

Construction pause – December to February

From Monday 9 December, work will pause over the summer holiday period with two lanes of traffic open across the bridge. Some traffic management will remain in place for safety reasons, include construction fencing and a reduced speed limit. Beach access will remain open.

Crews will be back from Monday 3 February, 2025, to recommence works on Stage 2 on the inland side of the bridge.

Stage 1 - complete

Stage 1 of the project to demolish and replace the ocean side of the bridge was completed in September 2024.

This stage also included building a retaining wall on the ocean side and widening of the road on both sides of the bridge.

Stage 2 - underway

The inland side of the bridge will be demolished and replaced. Traffic will be able to travel over the bridge one lane in each direction.

Some works, including barrier installation and beam lifts, will require the temporary closure of one lane over the bridge. During these times, traffic will travel over the bridge, one lane at a time, under traffic management.

Please note these works are subject to favourable weather and site conditions.

General disruptions

There will be significant changes to traffic conditions in the area during construction.

Lane closures and reduced speed limits will be in place at times, with traffic management on site to guide traffic through safely, one lane at a time.

Pedestrian access is available across the wooden bridge to the north while work is underway. Beach access is also available. Temporary pedestrian detours may be required at times. Signage and traffic controllers will be in place as required to guide pedestrians across the river and to the beach.

Please take care when travelling through the work site for your own safety, the safety of our road crews and the safety of others on the road.

Look out for signs alerting to changed traffic conditions and allow extra time for your journey.

Overview

The construction of the new bridge on the Great Ocean Road at Wye River is funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.

The community has provided valuable feedback on the project at community information sessions held in the township between 2018 and 2023.

Feedback from attendees has been incorporated into the planning and design of the project.

The existing bridge was built in the 1950s and is now due for replacement.

The new bridge will be stronger, wider, and safer. The bridge will be capable of carrying an increased load capacity of more than 100 tonnes. It will be built on the same alignment as the existing bridge, and include a wider bridge deck, shoulders and a footway on the ocean side of the structure to boost safety and convenience for pedestrians.

The existing upstream pedestrian bridge has been refurbished to protect it from the coastal weather.

The relocation of the water tank within the Foreshore Caravan Park was completed in 2023.

The bridge will be built in two parts, allowing a single lane of traffic to remain open during the first stage for ocean side bridge construction, followed by the inland bridge construction with two lanes being available for traffic.

Benefits

Replacing the Wye River bridge will:

ensure a safe and secure river crossing that meets modern design standards and is resilient and strong for the next 50 plus years,
allow for higher tides and storm surges as a result of changing climatic conditions, with the new bridge being approximately 600mm higher than the existing bridge,
improve connectivity between Lorne and Apollo Bay for all road users,
improve pedestrian safety and access with new guardrail, crash barriers and a wider pedestrian path on the beach side. The pedestrian path will be extended to provide better connection between the caravan park and the general store via the existing pedestrian crossing point, and
improve safety and access for cyclists, with wider shoulders on both lanes.