Hinchinbrook MP, Andrew Cripps, has welcomed the completion of a $10 million upgrade to the Arnot Creek Bridge on the Bruce Highway, north of Ingham.

Mr Cripps said the replacement of the Arnot Creek Bridge was a key commitment he made during the 2015 state election campaign for the Hinchinbrook electorate.

“The $10 million covered the initial planning and design work, removing the old bridge, providing a temporary crossing and the construction of the new bridge and approaches” said Mr Cripps.

“I worked hard to lock in the Queensland Government’s contribution before the last state election and lobbied the Federal Government to confirm its contribution” he said.

“We had to secure this project, because a structural problem with the old bridge had seen the speed limit drop to 80 km/h for conventional vehicles and 60 km/h for heavy vehicles”.

“This was a real issue for the flow of traffic on the Bruce Highway and the safety of the travelling public – I’m pleased the work we put in to deliver this upgrade has paid off”.

Mr Cripps said although the upgrade of the Arnot Creek Bridge had been completed and was open to traffic, some minor works may still be occurring on and around the site.

“I would like to thank motorists for their patience and understanding while these works were being undertaken and ask that they continue to be careful around this site”.

“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of North Queensland and when you have a weak link, it has implications for local communities across the region”.

Mr Cripps said the Arnot Creek Bridge project on the Bruce Highway was jointly funded by the Australian Government ($8 million) and the Queensland Government ($2 million).