SOMERSET Regional Council is moving forward with the long-awaited replacement of Lester Kropp Bridge in Villeneuve, a critical connection between Villeneuve and Mount Archer on Neurum Road.

The new two-lane bridge will significantly improve safety, reliability and economic opportunities for Somerset communities.

The current single-lane bridge was built around the same time as the construction of the Somerset Dam wall and has a poor crash record.

At the ordinary meeting on Wednesday, 26 February, Councillors voted to proceed with construction with a potential final cost of about $15 million.

While the cost of upgrading was significant, Somerset Regional Council CEO Andrew Johnson said the bridge was sorely needed for the Somerset community.

“There have been multiple injury crashes on Neurum Road at Lester Kropp Bridge with a frequency of one every two or three years,” Mr Johnson said.

“Injury crashes have an average cost to the community of $600,000.

“There is an estimated average annual safety benefit of $250,000 in having a two lane versus a one lane bridge on Neurum Road.”

Mr Johnson said the new two-lane bridge would also provide productivity efficiencies of about $95,000 compared to the degrading condition of the existing structure, which will require load limiting.

“Further, when the D’Aguilar Highway closes at Kilcoy Creek Bridge, we need a reliable and safe alternative at Lester Kropp Bridge,” Mr Johnson said.

Council sought funding for the design and replacement of the bridge over the Stanley River with an 8.9m two-lane structure and signed a $5 million Australian Government funding agreement through the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP) on 6 January 2023.

Mr Johnson said the funding agreement originally anticipated a project cost over $7 million.

“However, after the design process, tender submissions received in January 2025 indicated a cost over $12 million,” Mr Johnson said.

“This increase in costs over the past two years, while unexpected, is consistent with construction increases council and other governments have incurred with projects.

“It’s plausible the final cost, considering project variability due to geotechnical issues and project management, could exceed $12 million.”

Mr Johnson said bridge construction had a high risk of cost exposure with many unknowns, especially bridge piling.

“Geotechnical investigations have been conducted to limit risk, but the conditions below ground surface are still an unknown.

“Experienced geotechnical engineers will be engaged to ensure prompt, decisive decision-making to limit cost exposure.”

Per the HVSPP funding conditions, the project must be constructed by November 2025 and fully acquitted by 23 January 2026.

“Time frames for this project are critical, and we need to get this project underway as soon as possible, and so council has decided to fund the remainder of the works as part of our next budget review,” Mr Johnson said.

“If Lester Kropp Bridge isn’t replaced now, there is no guarantee any funding will be available to replace the bridge in the future.

Mr Johnson said Somerset Regional Council was not taking the project lightly.

“This 80-year-old bridge is not up to our council’s standards or modern safety requirements,” Mr Johnson said.

“It needs to be fixed, and we are taking decisive action to move this project forward for our community’s sake.”

Somerset Regional Council is moving forward with the long-awaited replacement of Lester Kropp Bridge in Villeneuve.