High Country Rail Trail Bridges the Gap

23 January 2012

The High Country Rail Trail ( NE Victoria) has bridged the 600m long gap across Lake Hume.

The prefabricated beams complete with handrails were floated into position using a barge.  The innovative barge was required due to the concern that the water may not retreat from under the bridge for the second summer running, after over eight years of barely reaching it.

However towards the end of 2011 the worry was that water level was dropping beyond the point where the barge could be used.  The Towong Shire council's project team then worked feverishly over the New Year to put all the beams in place in a bit over a week, leaving the bridge now free of the vagaries of the lake level.

It looks spectacular and we can't wait to use it.  However there are still numerous works on the bridge and approaches to complete so the official opening will be towards the middle of the year.

Click here for further information on the High Country Rail Trail

This was very similar to the scene just after Chrismas 2011.

The was the scene a week later.  It's a long bridge from the air (Towong shire)

and a long bridge from the ground!! (Towong Shire)