People cycling to and from Buninyong, or simply taking a stroll on the town’s outskirts, can now enjoy the amenity of a new bridge over the Union Jack Creek on the town’s northern entrance.

The new prefabricated steel bridge has been installed by City of Ballarat to replace an existing wooden structure which had met the end of its useful life and no longer met current design standards.

The bridge services cyclists and pedestrians using the shared path that runs along the west side of Geelong Road as it enters the Buninyong township.

Two 20 tonne cranes were used to lower the bridge into place directly over the top of the existing structure, which meant the path was only closed for one day, minimising disruption to residents.

South Ward Councillor Ben Taylor said the new bridge was a solid structure which would last many lifetimes.

“This path is well-used by cyclists commuting to and from school and work, and by walkers, giving them safe and scenic access to and from Buninyong.  So it was important to get the work done in as short a time frame as possible”, Cr Taylor said.

“It is the only pedestrian link between Mt Helen and Buninyong, and is part of the Goldfields Track, so in theory you can walk all of the way to Bendigo using a dedicated network of tracks.

“City of Ballarat appreciates the health and environmental benefits that cycling and walking bring, and is constantly upgrading facilities across the community to keep pace with the growing demand for safe recreational and commuter cycling/pedestrian paths”, Cr Taylor said.