U.S. timber arrives at Kernot for Stewart Road bridge
Imported prefabricated timber from the U.S. has finally arrived at Kernot allowing work to start on a new Stewart Road bridge now that the old bridge been dismantled and removed from the site
KERNOT residents have welcomed the long-awaited arrival of imported prefabricated timber from the U.S. to allow work to start on the new Stewart Road bridge.
With the bridge already dismantled and removed from the site, work can now start on the new bridge almost immediately.
“It’s good news that the timber has arrived,” said local resident Rob Parsons.
“It is sitting in shipping containers on the road beside the site, cut, numbered and ready for installation. The scaffolding that spanned the bridge last week has been lifted out in one piece and set down beside the road.”
A site supervisor explained that the concreters and timber crews needed clear access to do their work first, after which the scaffolding will be put back in. “There is also the possibility of damming the river to allow the work to proceed,” Mr Parsons indicated.
According to the site supervisor the contracted concreters have commitments elsewhere and if wet weather delays those jobs, the start date at Kernot could also slip.
For Kernot residents the bridge was not just a convenience, but a daily necessity until it was closed in March 2025 carrying farm traffic, school runs, milk tankers and emergency services.
“Every week it stays closed adds time to journeys that families and farmers make every day and adds risk if an ambulance or fire truck is needed,” said Mr Parsons.
With summer and the fire season approaching, residents are keen to see the crossing reopened as early as possible. “What the community would value most is regular, plain information from council on progress and on any changes to the expected completion date, so that people can plan around it rather than find out after the fact,” he said.
Work crews have successfully cleared the site and installed a temporary access track and a heavy-duty crane pad and removed the old timber deck and headstocks to make way for the new bridge.
According to Bass Coast Shire’s latest project updates the specialised Douglas Fir Glulam timber arrived on October 24 after minor shipping transit delays.
Council opted for the imported timber after what they claimed was strong advocacy from local residents, who demanded a timber replacement over a modern concrete or steel alternative to preserve the historic crossing’s rustic heritage character.
Glulam timber was found to provide the necessary heavy-duty load bearing strength required for modern traffic while remaining substantially lighter than steel frameworks, simplifying engineering and on-site assembly.
Because specialised Glulam timber for large bridge structures is not currently manufactured anywhere in Australia, council says it had to source the Douglas Fire Gulam bridge components from the United States.
This decision divided the community, triggering mixed reactions online. On the Sentinel Times Facebook page readers continue to express frustration over the lack of Australian-made materials, with comments asking, "Why was this not manufactured, built here in Australia rather than import?" and labelling the import "the most ridiculous thing I’ve read this week." Others questioned the fate of the original material, asking if the old timbers were put out to tender for up-cycling or simply "spirited away."
Despite the controversy surrounding the imported timber some local residents are just relieved to see some progress on the long-awaited project, "Wow, finally something happening,” was one comment.
Now that the timber has arrived on site, work is now expected accelerate through November with project managers targeting a completion date of late December.
