The first mountain-biking bridge across the Mersey River, in Tasmania’s north-west, washed away the same week it was installed.
It was recovered and reinstalled in the same position, but eventually replaced with a sturdier version.
That version lasted a little bit longer, but it also eventually washed away in the floods of October 2022.
This was of course, not ideal, but the Latrobe Council always planned to build a permanent crossing over the Mersey River that would not wash away in floodwaters.
This third bridge, which links part of the Wild Mersey mountain bike trail network, opened last month and is the longest single-span pedestrian suspension bridge in Australia.
It has been hung well above the high-water mark of the deadly 2016 floods, so it is expected to last.
But its opening comes after an 18-month bureaucratic saga that meant mountain bikers, walkers and trail runners had no way to cross the river and join the trail network on the western side, which links to the towns of Railton and Sheffield.
Troubled water, troubled bridges
Catherine Stark, who owns Railton’s Seven Sheds Brewery with her husband Willie Simpson, said those 18 months had been “very frustrating”, and attributed a dip in tourism business to the inaccessible bridge.
“It has been a very long process, and it has been very frustrating to know the bridge has been here for so long, but couldn’t legally be used,” Ms Stark said.
She said between 2019 and 2022, people would “make a day of it” by riding from the trails at Latrobe to Railton and have lunch at the cafes in town and perhaps have a beer at Seven Sheds.
Latrobe mayor Peter Freshney said the $1 million project was built with a pandemic-era state government loan and was built on budget and more or less on time by BridgePro.
The sticking point was the trails that approach the bridge from each side of the river, which needed permits and approvals from the landowner, which is the Parks and Wildlife Service.
Floods, eagles and the burden of bureaucracy
Cr Freshney said after the 2022 floods, the Parks and Wildlife Service required a greater level of technical detail than it had done previously.
Cr Freshney said while he appreciated the need for the changes, it did add delays to the project.
“It was frustrating and complicated the issue for us,” he said.
And once approvals were granted in late 2023, the project was further delayed by several months when nesting wedge-tailed eagles were spotted in the nearby trees.
Construction within several hundred metres of eagle nests during breeding season, which can span from August through to February, is not permitted.
A spokesperson for the Parks and Wildlife Service said they worked with the Latrobe Council to ensure the trails and the bridge met “all the necessary environmental and safety standards required”.
“The PWS conducts thorough assessments for projects on reserve land to ensure the safety of visitors and minimise impacts to the natural and cultural values of the area,” they said.
Delays, drama and drudgery worth it in the end
Cr Freshney and Ms Stark both said they supported PWS in its efforts to protect the natural environment and threatened species, such as the wedge-tailed eagles.
“We can’t just blame or put the emphasis on [the PWS], all sorts of things contributed to the delays,” Cr Freshney said.
“It’s just wonderful to finally get to that point in time we’ve been waiting for so long.”
Cr Freshney also hosed down claims from members of the public that the bridge may not be safe to use.
“This project has been signed off by structural engineers. We listen to structural engineers, and not people who are seeking to undermine our council,” he said.
Teenager Zac Parry is one the region’s many mountain bikers excited to see the trail network one step closer to completion.
“I can ride here from home, so it’s cool to get out here whenever I want.”
