Works to restore the historic Dee Slip Bridge in Millgrove were announced on 9 July after four long years of closure due to disrepair.
Expected to finish in early 2026, the repairs will enable walkers, cyclists and emergency vehicles to finally use the bridge again.
Millgrove resident Thomas Osburg has lived near the bridge for decades and was pleased to hear the plans to restore it.
“That’s probably the best news I’ve heard for that part of the aqueduct for years,” Mr Osburg said.
“I think there’ll be a lot of happy people in the area now that is finally going to be fixed up.”
The repairs will begin in spring this year and will preserve the heritage of the bridge by following the same design and retaining as much of the existing timber as possible.
A new timber deck and handrail will be installed along with new horizontal steel beams to ensure the structure is durable and safe for visitors to cross.
Acting Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio said repairing the bridge was a great outcome for the trail.
“The Dee Slip Bridge and the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail are popular with the local community and visitors from all across Victoria, repairing the bridge and restoring access along the trail is a great outcome.
“We’ll continue to invest in our national parks and their visitor facilities because we know how important they are to regional communities and our visitor economy,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
But Mr Osburg said the government had been slow in addressing the dilapidated bridge.
“It has taken a bit too long to get that fixed up because before the trees fell on it a few years ago it was already closed off to riders.
“I wasn’t too happy myself about it taking that long.”
In 2021, the bridge was damaged and closed off when a large pine tree collapsed onto it, but it was already falling into disrepair in 2017 when it was deemed unsafe for vehicles to cross.
The bridge was constructed in 1947 after the aqueduct collapsed and the force of the water flow created a large hole in the side of the embankment.
For many years it has been used to access the O’Shannassy Aqueduct and the 30 kilometre long walking trail alongside it, which runs from East Warburton to the Don Valley.
To keep the community safe, access to the bridge was closed and a new temporary bypass track on the low side of the bridge was created for public use in the interim.
But Mr Osburg said the temporary track was steep and difficult for those who weren’t physically fit – a contrast to the rest of the relatively flat O’Shannassy Aqueduct trail.
“It’s sort of vital for people who aren’t as mobile who can’t go up and down steps.
“I don’t know how many people wouldn’t be able to do that but there must be some that have to turn back because they just can’t do it,” he said.
Mr Osburg predicted if the State Government wanted to keep the bridge in a good state, a lot of money would need to be invested on top of the already costly price to repair it.
“It won’t be that cheap but it still needs to be maintained to keep it safe.
“That’s one of the few bits on the aqueduct that probably chews up a lot of money just to keep it maintained compared to everything else along the aqueduct.”
The repair of the Dee Slip Bridge is part of the Asset Regeneration Program, a $24.7 million investment by the State Government to remove unsafe infrastructure and repair or replace assets across Victorian parks.
