Briars Sharrow Road during a flood in 2021. Photo: Ashley Warwick.
A flood-prone crossing in southern NSW will be replaced, but a new span won’t be open to traffic for some time.
During heavy rain, a low-level causeway along Briars Sharrow Road becomes impassable, which leaves several farms cut off.
The issue has long affected nearby residents, and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) called for federal government funding to solve the issue in 2022.
The following year, the NSW Government committed $9 million under its regional roads fund and this will cover the project’s full cost.
During a recent meeting, councillors voted to accept an $8 million design and construction contract for a major upgrade. The contract was awarded to Woden Civil Contractors Pty Ltd.
The works will see the existing Briars Sharrow Bridge crossing replaced with a new two-lane concrete structure, as well as updated road approaches. The new bridge will be more than 80 m long, 9 m wide and will be constructed 4 m higher than the existing crossing.
At the council meeting, councillor Ross Macdonald acknowledged the community’s concerns around consultation.
He said a session later this month would shed light on “a whole range of detail” to do with the upgrade.
“It is born of some serious concerns about the impact on various parts of our community with the proposed upgrades,” he said.
“I think it is very important for people to use the opportunity at Hoskinstown town hall, in about a fortnight, to ask their questions there.”
The drop-in information session will be held between 6 and 7:30 pm on 10 March at the Hoskinstown War Memorial Hall, 1697 Hoskinstown Road, Hoskinstown.
According to the council’s website, the session will also cover a planned upgrade of the Yandyguinula Creek (Reschs Creek) crossing.
In its January project update, the council states the new bridge will be built on a “very similar” location to the existing causeway.
The bridge’s location cannot be moved to the west or east because of concerns around impacts to nearby private residences, impacts to Aboriginal artefacts and biodiversity.
“The bridge cannot be constructed without closing the road,” the update outlines.
The road closure is expected to last for about a year. Image: Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.
This means a section of Briars Sharrow Road between Plains and Captains Flat roads will be closed for much of 2026 to allow for construction.
In the project update, QPRC says detours may be:
- south on Hoskinstown Road, towards Captains Flat Road
- north on Briars Sharrow Road to Hoskinstown Road, towards Bungendore
- north on Hoskinstown Road to Trucking Yard Lane to the Kings Highway.
A council spokesperson told Region the closure was expected to be in place from 27 March and last until December.
Updates can also be found through the Briars Sharrow Bridge upgrade page on the council’s website.
