Living Here

Bridge removal to cause temporary closure of Tom Jeffery Memorial Park

Gladstone Regional Council advises that the bridge located at Tom Jeffery Memorial Park in Agnes Water will be removed and transported for off-site repair.

Work towards removal of the bridge will commence from Monday 22 August.

To keep the community safe while the bridge is being removed, Tom Jeffery Memorial Park will be fully closed to the public from 22 to 26 August.

There will be no access to the carpark or the beach at this location.

The public amenities will also be closed during this time, with Council to use this park closure period to conduct separate improvement works to those amenities.

Council officers have conducted letterbox drops to nearby residents, businesses and other stakeholders advising them of these temporary changes.

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said Council is aware the bridge at Tom Jeffery Memorial Park provides an important community link to the beach and bridge repair efforts were being prioritised to reconnect residents and visitors to the beach.

“Geotechnical investigations and engineering assessments have been completed to determine the best approach to repair the bridge, with our teams engaged in the investigation and design of a permanent solution,” Councillor Burnett said.

“Works will take time and involve several stages, including the bridge being removed for repair, new piles and foundations installed, and the reinstatement of the repaired bridge.”

Cr Burnett said traffic controllers would be on-site and local traffic restrictions would apply for Agnes Street and Jeffery Court. Truck and crane movements will also cause disruptions for pedestrians in the area between 22-26 August.

“Unfortunately, access interruptions to properties close to the park will be unavoidable with disruptions of up to 15 minutes necessary while semi-trailers are manoeuvred in and out of the area,” he said.

“The longest wait time experienced could be up to 30 minutes while semi-trailers are reversing into the site.”

Alternate public beach access points during the Tom Jeffery Memorial Park closure (22-26 August) include: