STAFF WRITERS
AFTER more than 400 days without direct access to and from Traralgon, Christmas came early for Tyers residents with the reopening of the Latrobe River Bridge on December 21.
Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, has lobbied the state government to fast-track the bridge since he was first elected in November 2022.
“The people of Tyers were promised a new bridge some eight years ago as a matter of urgency, so to say this is long overdue would be an understatement,” Mr Cameron said.
“Residents have had to travel through Glengarry to get to Traralgon and emergency services have dangerously been without direct access to Tyers, so it’s great to see the bridge open just in time for Christmas.”
Tyers Road has re-opened with reduced speeds in place to ensure the safety of all road users.
The load limit of 30 tonnes has also been lifted.
Crews will be back onsite during the year to complete the final pieces of work including safety barrier installation, line marking and signage.
The speed limit will return to 80 km/h once these works are completed.
The Tyers community rejoiced with the news days before the opening, bursting with excitement.
Then, on the afternoon of Thursday, December 21, locals were finally able to take their normal route into Traralgon.
“Ripper, that’s great,” one Facebook user said to the news.
“About time,” another said.
Others opted for the humorous lane, one user joked “wow, that was quick”.
After more than a year without direct access to Traralgon, and around eight years of waiting for a new bridge, the Tyers community can now breathe a little easier.
