Bigger, better rail trail to open soon
WEATHER has delayed the construction of the Black Spur section of the Great Southern Rail Trail between Koonwarra and Meeniyan, but it is expected to be open to the public by mid February.
The first two bridges from the Koonwarra end are in place, while the concrete deck of the third bridge needs to be complete.
Fencing and general tidying up will be done and then the rail trail will be ready for use.
South Gippsland Shire Council projects officer Tony Peterson said many people were keen to see the missing link of the trail complete.
“We need to make sure it is safe for people to use before it can be opened, so we are trying to keep people off it at this stage,” he said.
The original completion date was initially set for the end of 2015, which Mr Peterson said was optimistic.
“We would prefer to have the job done well, so we haven’t rushed things. Under the obligations of the State Government grant, we have until the middle of the year to complete the project,” he said.
The three original bridges were built in the 1890s, however sections have been repaired and rebuilt several times since.
The first bridge has been entirely replaced with a new structure, while sections of the second and third bridges spanning the Tarwin River have been replaced.
What has not been replaced has been rehabilitated.
“The trestles have the heritage value, so we needed to keep them intact and visible. We also needed to make sure the new and the old had a distinct visual difference,” Mr Peterson said.
The first bridge was installed and had its concrete deck poured before Christmas and the concrete paths between the bridges have been finished.
“We chose to put a concrete path in between the bridges, even though they were gravel in the original plans,” Mr Peterson said.
“From a maintenance point of view, it will be easier for the committee of management to look after a concrete path.”
Once the Black Spur link is complete, the whole trail will be rebranded.
As a part of the rebranding, a lot of the timber from the demolished bridges will be reused as signs, seating and mounting blocks for horse riders.
The signs will be done first, with tenders to go out soon.
A point of interest along the Black Spur section of the trail will be a small picnic area, which will include some interpretive signs.
“It will include a history of the train line and the bridges, as well as some history of the area,” Mr Peterson said.
“Hopefully, the picnic table will be made from wood salvaged from the demolished bridges.”
Mr Peterson said the committee of management recently appointed a maintenance contractor, who will conduct regular inspections of the trail.
“The committee of management receives funding from the council and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning annually,” he said.
“The rest of their money comes from leases. With 70 kilometres of trail to look after, they need to be smart about how they spend the money.”
Almost there: South Gippsland Shire Council projects officer Tony Peterson said the Black Spur section of the Great Southern Rail Trail should be completed in February.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Jan 26 2016. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
