Bridges
Matthew Flinders (Gladstone Marina) Bridge
Bridge closing
A siren sounds several minutes before the boom gates close on the Gladstone Marina Bridge. There have been instances where motorists have attempted to cross while the boom gates close and haven't considered there are gates on both sides of the bridge. As a result, they have been caught either between the two gates on the bridge or have had their vehicles struck by a boom gate. This is a dangerous practice and an offence, so bridge users are encouraged to treat the warnings seriously and stop upon hearing the warning siren.
Council only closes the bridge when a road closure permit is approved, in which case the details are published in The Observer as a public notice, released as a media release and available on Council’s website. Exceptions to this are in emergency circumstances when maintenance needs to be performed on the bridge immediately, in the event that not closing the road would pose a risk to public safety.
Requesting bridge to be opened
All bridge lifts must be requested by calling (07) 3159 3069. Legacy methods of requesting lifts such as handheld remote requests and pylon requests are no longer supported and will not be responded to. Vessel operators are to phone the given number when on approach to the bridge. The bridge operator may take up to 5 minutes to access and log into the remote-control panel. Vessel operators are to maintain a safe distance from the bridge and be in control of their vessels while waiting for the bridge to open. When the bascule portion of the bridge is fully open, vessels are to safely navigate the creek channel.
Gladstone Marina Bridge weight limit
The maximum weight allowable to vehicles on the bridge is five tonnes. If your vehicle weighs more than this or carries a load that makes it weigh more than five tonnes, you must use the alternative access via Alf O'Rourke Drive.
Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) Measurements
Following an assessment and based on the Tidal data procured from DTMR website, the Highest Astronomical Tide level is 4.87m above the Lowest Astronomical Tide (ie HAT Reduced level is 2.48m AHD). And, based on the bridge drawings available, the navigation width is 18m and the vertical bridge clearance is 3 m above the HAT level.
Contact Council on (07) 4970 0700 to report an issue with the bridge.
Timber bridge load limits
In the interest of public safety temporary load limits will apply to the timber bridges listed below:
Hobble Creek Bridge
Location: On John Clifford Way, Lowmead
New load limit: 10 tonnes
Speed limit: 40kph
Alternative route: Drivers of vehicles exceeding the speed limit should seek an alternative route.
Fire Creek Bridge
Location: Raglan Station Road, Raglan (about 5km from Raglan)
New load limit: 14.5 tonnes
Alternative route: Raglan Station Road also links with the Bruce Highway at Raglan and Ambrose (approx 5km or 15km extra travel, depending on which direction on the Bruce Highway vehicles are travelling from).
Worthington Creek Bridge
Location: The Danube Road, Rodds Bay (about 11km from Turkey Beach)
New load limit: 6.3 tonnes
Alternative route: In the event of the need to transport a heavy load along The Danube Road, crossing the bridge can be avoided by using an upstream (southern side) track at low tide.