A community information session will be held on Tuesday 2 July to discuss the findings of Stage One and proposed method and scope for Stage Two of the independent study into coastal impacts of the Batemans Bay Bridge replacement on the Clyde River.
A Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson said the study would be carried out in two parts and would assess coastal erosion within Batemans Bay.
“Stage One of the study independently evaluated the impact the new bridge would have on riverbed and shoreline changes including waves, flooding, tides and currents in the Clyde River compared to the existing bridge,” the spokesperson said.
“The study found the new bridge will have less impact to erosion, wave, tides and currents in the Clyde River compared to the existing bridge. This is due to the reduced number of piers and the abutments being further away from the river.
“The new bridge does not have any additional impacts to the shoreline compared to the existing bridge, does not influence the distribution of waves inside the Bay or influence a rise in sea level.”
The community information session will be held from 4pm to 7pm at the Batemans Bay Community Centre at Batemans Bay. The drop-in session will provide an opportunity for community members to speak directly to the project team.
The spokesperson said Stage Two of the study proposes to assess into the broader issues of erosion in Batemans Bay.
“This stage will identify options for sustainable infrastructure solutions along the northern shoreline of Batemans Bay to protect residents from coastal erosion,” the spokesperson said.
“The NSW Government has committed $5 million to an engineering solution which is great news for the community.”
The spokesperson said the independent study is in addition to earlier assessments completed for the Batemans Bay Bridge replacement project, including the Environmental Assessment in 2017.
“While the new bridge project will improve conditions compared to the existing bridge, this study aims to give those concerned greater certainty of broader erosion issues not relating to the new bridge,” the spokesperson said.
Construction of the new bridge is continuing and piling work began in the Clyde River in June 2019.
