A new pedestrian bridge over Princes Highway at Kirrawee is expected to be open by the end of this year.
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has awarded a contract to Christie Civil for the project near the intersection of Bath Road, adjoining The Prince hotel,
Miranda MP Eleni Petinos said major building work was scheduled to start in March and be completed by the end of this year.
Ms Petinos said the bridge would link local schools, services, commercial and residential zones around the highway, which carried about 78,000 vehicles a day.
“The main bridge structure will be a steel arch across the Princes Highway and the NSW Government has worked with an urban designer to incorporate the design of the bridge into the local landscape,” she said.
“Features of the bridge will include stairways and a lift on each side as well as CCTV cameras for security.
“Once in place, it will link local pathways and enhance cyclist and pedestrian connectivity.”
“The bridge will be built off-site before being lifted in to place on the established foundations.”
RMS sought feedback in June-July 2018 from local residents and key stakeholders on the plans, and a community consultation report was released in September.
Early work, including utility relocation, also started in September.
RMS said six locations were considered and Bath Road was the best, based on pedestrian safety, the distance from existing crossing facilities, land acquisition requirements, and environment and heritage sensitivity.
Some residents believed a better location was the intersection of Oak Road, next to South Village.