Second Cam River Bridge Feasibility Study

Community consultation is now complete. Thank you to everyone who attended a drop-in session or shared their views with us online or by phone.

View the consultation and feedback findings summary (PDF 501.7 KB).

What if something happens to the new bridge?

The new bridge is significantly less likely to be affected by flooding than the former bridge. The bridge has been designed to withstand a 1 in 2000-year flood event, which means it is around 20 times less likely to be affected by flooding than the former bridge.

The new bridge is wider, and the wider shoulders can be used to keep traffic moving in the case of unplanned incidents.

There is no record of a major crash or similar incident closing the bridge for more than three hours.

Because the risk of the new bridge being closed for an extended period is very low, plus the fact that the highway either side of the bridge is not dual carriageway, building another crossing for such a small risk is, in isolation, not considered to be worth the significant cost and potential impacts to the community and the environment at this time.

Why was a feasibility study done?

In October 2022, the old Cam River Bridge on the Bass Highway was partially closed due to flooding of the river, resulting in significant delays for road users and negative impacts on the local community, businesses and regional freight industry.

Following this event, and due to the community feedback, we looked into whether a second crossing over the Cam River was needed.

What is a feasibility study?

A feasibility study is an assessment that looks at the practicality and viability of a proposed plan or project, in order to judge if it should go ahead.

What were the criteria for the study?

This study looked at several potential locations for a new crossing and assessed each location against four criteria.

This helped us understand what impact the crossing might have and how it might benefit the community.

The criteria considered:

• Regional traffic impact. Will the crossing carry heavy freight and passenger traffic? Will it improve traffic flow? Will the crossing be convenient for Bass Highway traffic?
• Local traffic impact. Will local trips be improved by the crossing? Will the crossing be used for walking and cycling? Will the crossing impact on other local roads?
• Social and environmental impact. Would land need to be acquired to build this crossing? Will the crossing separate the community from the beach? Will there be a visual impact to the area? What impact will there be to plants and wildlife?
• Cost impact.

What methods were used?

The Department ran community consultation from Wednesday, 25 October 2023 to Tuesday, 21 November 2023. Community members and stakeholders provided feedback on the possible crossing locations through several channels, including an online interactive map, email, formal submission, feedback form, phone calls and public drop-in sessions.

Several technical assessments were also completed as part of this study including:

Traffic/transport analysis

A review of traffic conditions, such as daily and peak hour vehicle numbers, crash history, the types of trips that use the Cam River Bridge and their origin and destination, and future use forecasts and traffic.

Environment and planning assessment

A review of ecological features (threatened flora and fauna), planning and land use, heritage (Aboriginal and historical) and other features.

Hydraulic assessment

An assessment of the feasibility of construction and to identify any issues that would prevent the construction of a second bridge, based on the relevant State and Australian standards.

Geotechnical assessment

A high-level analysis of the local land use and terrain, possible landslide hazards and the recent Oonah Road upgrades.