Government Names Bridge In Honour Of Fischer

5 July 1999 A95/99

Federal Government Names Bridge In Honour Of Tim Fischer

The great work and public service of the Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer, was recognised today in Queensland with the opening of a new bridge at Wallaville on the National Highway named in his honour.

The surprise announcement came less than a week after Mr Fischer declared in Federal Parliament that he would soon stand down as Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the National Party and Trade Minister.

The Federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, said the new 307-metre bridge carried the Bruce Highway over the Burnett River at Wallaville, 40 km south-west of Bundaberg.

Mr Fischer was scheduled to open the federally-funded Wallaville bridge. The Federal Government, with the cooperation of the Queensland Government, felt the bridge should be given a fitting name.

Mr Fischer did not know that the naming honour had been bestowed on him until just before the plaque was unveiled.

With the opening of the $28.5 million Tim Fischer Bridge, the Bruce Highway is "flood free" between Gympie and Rockhampton.

The new bridge carries the Bruce Highway on 10 spans and sits 30 metres above the riverbed. Two smaller bridges were built over floodway channels as part of the 8.5 km approaches - one 240 metres long on the southern side and another 95 metres long to the north.

The Federal Government met the cost of all three bridges from its National Highway Program.

The high-level Wallaville bridge replaces a narrow and dangerous bridge located five kilometres downstream, which had been built during World War II at a cost of $50,000.

© Scoop Media