Gobbagombalin Bridge Duplication  

Updated December 2020

Transport for NSW announced a $20 million road and bridge improvement package for the Old Narrandera Road intersection and the Travers Street intersection to improve traffic conditions and safety for those using the Gobbagombalin Bridge to travel from the northern suburbs to central Wagga Wagga. The Transport NSW preferred options report released in July 2020 identified traffic lights and additional lane capacity as the safest and most efficient options for both intersections.

Gobbagombalin Bridge in the News

WIN News: 7 March 2023

Daily Advertiser: 2 March 2023

Prime News: 7 November 2022

Wagga Wagga City Council released the Wagga Wagga Integrated Transport Strategy and Implementation Plan 2040 in August 2017.

Key projects and initiatives relative to a duplication of the Gobbagombalin Bridge contained within the comprehensive Plan include:

• Assessing the infrastructure requirements needed to meet the future needs of the Northern growth area

• Negotiate for duplication of the Gobbagombalin Bridge

• Investigating an alternate heavy vehicle route from the Sturt Highway to the Olympic Way and review heavy vehicle current usage of existing northern infrastructure

• Work with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to preserve a heavy vehicle bypass corridor south of the Sturt Highway within Council strategies

• Negotiate a program with the NSW Government and Federal Government for timing of a heavy vehicle bypass

• Provide a hierarchy of road networks that allow direct and efficient routes to and within Bomen

• Facilitate a freight interchange facility in a strategic location within the Bomen intermodal destination hub

• Facilitate an interchange facility/fatigue management centre within the Bomen intermodal destination hub

• Improve intersections with the Olympic Highway in collaboration with the RMS

In September 2020 Wagga Wagga City Council applied to have several roads within the city reclassified to Regional Roads to better reflect their role in the regional road network and utilise State Government funding for ongoing maintenance and repairs. For further details please click here.

Further to the release of the Wagga Wagga Integrated Transport Strategy and Implementation Plan 2040 in August 2017, there have been two significant State Government initiatives that will impact on the scope and timing of delivery of a duplication of the Gobbagombalin Bridge, these being:

1. Transport for NSW is working with Wagga Wagga City Council to develop a “Wagga Wagga Future Transport Place Plan”. Place Plans were a commitment in the Future Transport 2056 Regional NSW Services & Infrastructure Plan, released in March 2018. Their intention is to take a long-term integrated view of the future of transport in key regional places such as Wagga Wagga. The Wagga Wagga Future Transport Place Plan is informed by input from Wagga Wagga City Council, the RMS, Transport for NSW, other government agencies and invited stakeholders. Committee for Wagga was invited to participate in a Workshop held in February 2019 to have input into the development of the Plan.

   The Wagga Wagga Future Transport Place Plan will provide the strategy for delivery of future transport outcomes by government for Wagga Wagga. It was expected that the Place Plan would be released in September 2019.  As at September 2020 we await the release of the Place Plan by Transport for NSW.

2. The announcement in 2019 by the State Government that the Bomen Industrial Park to the north of the City will become the second Special Activation Precinct (SAP) in the State. Designation as a SAP will provide significant momentum for investment in and development of the industrial area by government and private enterprise.

Committee for Wagga expects the impact of these initiatives on Alternate Route options to become clearer in 2021 as the State Government progresses with SAP and Place Plan projects. Submissions have closed on the draft SAP Master Plan and the Place Plan is expected to be released in February 2021.

Background

The Gobbagombalin Bridge is a key piece of infrastructure that forms part of the the Olympic Highway, connecting communities north of the Murrumbidgee River with Wagga and further south to Albury and Melbourne. The Bridge was constructed in 1997 as a two-lane highway and crosses the Murrumbidgee River at Wagga Wagga. It is vital in times of flood as other river crossings are often under water and inaccessible for long periods of time. 

As the population of the city has grown, residential subdivisions have established north of the city and the University has increased its capacity. The construction of the original two-lane bridge in 1997 has facilitated significant economic development for the city, opening up large parcels of land for residential subdivision and ensuring the University remains suitably connected to the city. A duplication of the bridge is likely to deliver further economic benefit as the city continues to expand further north and retail precincts are developed to service the growing population. 

Demand for residential development in suburbs such as Estella, Boorooma and Gobbagombalin has been strong and consistent, increasing the population of residents in suburbs north of the river from just 2,000 people in 2006 to an estimated 8,000 in 2016, an increase of over 300%. In addition, the student capacity of Charles Sturt University’s campus is approximately 3,200. Census data suggests approximately 65% of Wagga Wagga residents travel to work by car and a further 5% travel by car as a passenger. Therefore currently about 5,200 people are likely to commute locally on the bridge at a minimum of twice daily, accounting for more than 10,000 trips. 

A further 1,700 blocks of residentially zoned land are yet to be subdivided north of the bridge, potentially boosting the area’s population to over 13,000 within the next 10 years based on current rates of development and average household sizes. As residential activity continues to occur north of the city consideration must be given to the inevitable congestion as local traffic mixes with regular users of the busy highway. 

Compounding the congestion caused by residential development, commercial investment by heavy industry at the Bomen Business Park and establishment of the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics Hub will encourage more heavy vehicle movements across the bridge. 

RMS traffic counts on the bridge in 2010 indicate over 13,300 movements each way on a daily basis. This is an increase of 33% from counts in 2006 of 10,000 movements. The following table indicates the traffic movements on the bridge using the same growth rate evidenced between 2006 and 2010, approximately 7% per year. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 9 The projected movement data suggests traffic on the bridge will double between 2015 and 2025, therefore planning should begin now to prepare for the inevitable need to accommodate higher demand. 

In 2007 the Sheahan Bridge along the Hume highway at Gundagai was duplicated at a cost of $78M. In 2006 prior to the project’s completion traffic counts along the highway were 15,500 at locations north and south of Gundagai, less than the current movements across the Gobba Bridge. 

Pressure on the two lane Gobba Bridge is high, with heavy congestion often occurring during the morning and afternoon peak hour. In addition, traffic flow on the bridge is significantly affected by accidents and slow traffic such as heavy freight or machinery, with the potential to cause lengthy delays and long diversions. The bridge is also unable to support alternative modes of transport such as walking or riding. 

Forward plannning, the allocation of funds and establishment of indicative timelines must progress now to ensure the bridges capacity is increased and sufficient for the expected increases in cars and freight. 

Traffic on the Gobba Bridge is expected to double within the next 10 years.