Cuttagee Bridge sentiment is fine, but someone has to pay

Then the cost - in whatever shape that takes - needs to be considered.

Cuttagee Bridge came before council again this week as the future of the beloved, but beleaguered, timber crossing remains in question.

There's no doubting the passion and zeal of advocates for the historic timber bridge. They've been pushing for support ever since the notion of its replacement was first mooted.

The bridge is clearly a treasured part of our heritage and a symbol of a time when a road trip along the coast was a leisurely affair where you could stop to smell the roses along the way - or to breathe in the fresh sea air as the case may be.

The challenge of course is how to bring that sentiment into the modern era when our coast road is traversed by exponentially more motorists, including freight and, heaven forbid, emergency service vehicles.

Cuttagee Bridge already has a fractured history.

In the 1930s, timber piers and support girders had to be replaced by concrete and steel after the bridge collapsed in wild weather.

In 1974 the southern side of the bridge was washed away during floods.

And in early 2022, the bridge was closed for emergency repairs after structural components were found to be failing.

While the "historic timber bridge" is close to the hearts of many, the substructure has been altered extensively over time from the original, and most of the deck, kerbs, and handrails have also been repaired or replaced.

At this week's council meeting the notion of the State Government taking ownership of the Tathra-Bermagui Rd came up again.

While admirable, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the government swoops in to the rescue - especially given the estimated $20million price tag to replace or renew just this one bridge, let alone the handful of others along this picturesque stretch.

Then again, that's never going to be affordable for our council either without some significant assistance.

It's all well and good to say we want to keep the timber bridge for its aesthetics, its warmth, its heritage value, (its sound!). And clearly a timber structure is much more appealing than a concrete one.

However, timber or concrete, we have to pay for it - now and into the future. And that can't be done with sentiment.

- Ben Smyth, Editor