The Dee Slip Bridge on the O’Shannassy Aqueduct will be repaired and opened early next year, restoring direct access to one of the most spectacular riding trails in the country.
Located in the Yarra Ranges National Park, the O’Shannassy Aqueduct once carried Melbourne’s water supply, but is now the route of a magnificent 30km bike and walking trail from Warburton to the Don Valley.
The Dee Slip Bridge was no less impressive, a timber trestle structure built in 1947 after a section of the aqueduct collapsed, serving as a key access point to the aqueduct and trail.
But in 2021, a massive pine tree collapsed on the bridge, wrecking it and forcing trail users onto a temporary bypass track.
The repairs will preserve the heritage of the bridge by following the same design and retaining as much of the existing timber as possible.
A new timber deck and handrail will be installed along with new horizontal steel beams to ensure the structure is durable and safe for visitors to cross.
Repair work will get underway in the spring.
To ensure safe and efficient construction, there will be no access over the bridge or via the bypass track during the construction period.
Due to heavy vehicle activity, including the transportation of materials, partial closures along the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail will be required between Dee Road to the west in Millgrove and Sussex Street to the east in Warburton.
The trail will remain open east of Sussex Street.
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