Resident Ashley Meyer-Dilley says Foxlow Bridge looks unchanged from this photo, taken in 2019. Photo: Ashley Meyer-Dilley.
Queanbeyan Council has backflipped on a months-long bridge closure after discovering “progressive defects” to a second bridge.
Briars Sharrow Bridge closed in mid-April for the construction of a new, taller bridge.
It was expected the closure would last until January 2027, but Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has opened it from today (24 April).
In a statement on social media, a council spokesperson said the decision was due to safety concerns about nearby Foxlow Bridge on Hoskinstown Road.
“An independent structural engineers’ report has noted progressive defects and evidence of new deterioration since the last condition assessment in 2024 and they have recommended closing the bridge,” they wrote.
“As a result of this decision, Briars Sharrow Road and crossing will be reopening today.”
During heavy rain, the low-level causeway along Briars Sharrow Road (about a 10-minute drive from Bugendore) becomes impassable, which leaves several farms cut off.
Earlier this year, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) awarded a multi-million dollar contract for the design and construction of a replacement.
Hoskinstown resident Ashley Meyer-Dilley said the community had raised concerns about Foxlow Bridge’s condition in the lead-up to the Briars Sharrow Bridge closure.
“We were surprised that the council was even considering it as an alternative [for motorists] … But council thought it was safe enough to use for a week and half.”
Ms Meyer-Dilley said the Foxlow Bridge had “always been in a terrible state” and that many locals avoided driving on it if there was an alternative route.
She previously told Region that the multi-million dollar price tag of the project would be better spent ensuring other parts of the area’s road network, such as Foxlow Street, were repaired or upgraded.
The QPRC spokesperson confirmed that works will continue on the Briars Sharrow site.
“There are works that will continue offsite of the project, and council is working with our contractors to keep the road open until it is absolutely necessary to be closed.”
They also said that a community meeting will be held in the Hoskinstown area in the coming weeks.
“[This will] provide updates on the new Briars Sharrow Bridge project and the Foxlow Bridge closure.”
Ms Meyer-Dilley hopes this meeting will see QPRC respond to their concerns, including about what this means for the progress of the Briars Sharrow Bridge project.
“Everyone will be relieved about the bridge reopening … We get to go about life as normal again,” she said of the announcement.
“But I have had a couple of texts from neighbours who have said words to the effect of this is ‘a complete joke’ and ‘a bit of a disaster’ … [There is] sentiment online that is a bit, ‘We told you – we said this at our community meeting and you didn’t listen to us.'”
