Two-way causeway over the Fitzroy River opens six months after floods destroyed bridge

Traffic can now cross the Fitzroy River as normal with the opening of a dual causeway - but only for this Dry season. Six months after a one-in-100 year flood destroyed the Fitzroy River bridge a two-lane low-level crossing opened to all traffic around noon on Wednesday. The sealed crossing is open to all vehicles, including road-trains and oversize vehicles at all times. It opened a week after the remains of the ruined Fitzroy River Bridge was pulled down by a 500-tonne excavator as locals watched the historic event from the river banks. The crossing is part of a detour of the Great Northern Highway around the site where a new, higher and stronger bridge will be built to be completed by the end of next year. Temporary traffic management has been put in place to guide motorists. A footpath is also being established to safely cater for pedestrians. The crossing will operate for the Dry season but will be submerged when water levels rise next wet. Then the barge service will recommence to take pedestrians and essential vehicles across the river. The Fitzroy River Bridge was significantly damaged in floods caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in January which left about 500 people in the Central Kimberley homeless and killed thousands of cattle. Along with the bridge, 500m of road east of the town was destroyed cutting access to Aboriginal communities east of Fitzroy River as well as the East Kimberley and Northern Territory. Anybody who need to travel by road between the West to the East Kimberley had to do a huge detour through South Australia and the Northern Territory.