About the Mundarlo Bridge replacement project
The Mundarlo (or Tenandra Road) Bridge is a low-level single lane bridge located approximately 40 km from Gundagai and 60 km from Wagga Wagga. The bridge is the only public crossing over the Murrumbidgee River between the 2 major regional centres.
In addition to being a constraint to river flows, flows above 32,000 ML/day (5.1 m) at Wagga Wagga overtop the bridge, which has been inundated on several occasions in recent years.
This causes significant road closures and disruptions to local traffic, with detours of 120 km necessary, negatively impacting the communities relying on the road to get to work, get their children to school and manage their business/farming operations.
Upgrading the bridge will improve safety and reduce closures due to high river flows, providing substantial benefit to the local community. It will also have significant economic benefits by improving heavy traffic access and flows, and by reducing maintenance and clean-up costs into the future.
Scope of works
The department’s Water Group is constructing a higher bridge, capable of remaining open to through traffic during flows up to 100,000 ML/day at Wagga Wagga, as well as realigning the bridge’s approach roads. This is 3 times the capacity of the existing structure and well above the 40,000 ML/day upper flow limit proposed under the Reconnecting River Country Program Murrumbidgee Project.
The new $30.7 million bridge will be an upgrade from the current single-lane bridge to a 2-lane bridge with capacity to accommodate heavy vehicles, including farm machinery and B-double trucks. It is anticipated the new bridge will be approximately 110 m long and will be situated just upstream of the existing bridge.
The project is fully funded by the Australian Government.
Download this map (PDF. 259KB)
Project benefits
The benefits of the new bridge will include:
- less overtopping in times of higher flows, resulting in less disruption to local communities
- less servicing and maintenance of new infrastructure
- less maintenance/clean-up costs as higher flows will overtop the bridge less often
- improved safety and traffic flow for cars, farm machinery and trucks.
Current status
All planning and approval activities for the project are now complete. This included developing an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report in partnership with Traditional Owners, undertaking ecological and environmental studies, completing site surveys and carrying out geotechnical investigations and hydraulic modelling to inform design.
Construction of the new bridge is now underway, with Saunders Civilbuild awarded the contract to finalise bridge design and undertake the construction works.
Works will continue throughout the year with the bridge expected to be operable by December 2026. Commissioning and handover of the new bridge is scheduled for early 2027.
Changed traffic conditions along the Tenandra Rd will be in place from the start of construction. The road will remain open while works are underway, and traffic will continue to cross the Murrumbidgee River using the existing bridge.
Changed traffic conditions during construction may include:
- temporary speed limit adjustments
- temporary lane and bridge closures to enable equipment movement
- traffic control measures including signage, traffic lights, contra-flows and traffic controls.
These changed traffic conditions may vary over time as the work progresses.
Project timeline
-
April 2026
Contract awarded
-
June 2026
Site established
Construction commences -
July 2026
Piling commences
-
December 2026
Bridge operable
-
March 2027
Demolition of old bridge
Stakeholder and community engagement
The Water Group is committed to building and maintaining respectful, trusted and collaborative relationships with our communities and stakeholders to ensure water infrastructure projects achieve the best possible outcomes.
We have engaged extensively with local landholders, local businesses and Junee and Cootamundra-Gundagai Councils throughout the project’s assessment phase. We also sought feedback from the community more widely at drop-in sessions held in Wagga Wagga and Gundagai in July 2025.
Based on the feedback provided by stakeholders, in combination with constructability and cost estimates, the bridge is being raised 3.7 m above the height of the current bridge.
We will continue to work closely with local landholders and other stakeholders to understand what needs to be done to minimise local impacts while the bridge is being delivered. We will continue to keep local communities informed as the project progresses.
Business information
The Water Group hosted a session in Wagga Wagga in August 2025 to provide businesses with information about upcoming tenders and the range of goods and services needed for the delivery of the Mundarlo Bridge replacement, Mundowy Lane raising and Werai Forest projects. Download a copy of the presentation and sign up for the Water Group’s water infrastructure business register via the links below.
Documents
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 03 December 2025 | Review of Environmental Factors: Mundarlo Bridge (PDF, 16.44 MB) |
| 01 August 2025 | Business information session, Wagga Wagga (PDF, 4.56 MB) |
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