Major changes afoot in Junee as bridge closure nears

JUNEE’S Kemp Street bridge will close to all traffic on Friday, September 5, with the critical crossing set to remain shut for up to 18 months while a brand-new, higher overpass is built.

The 80-year-old structure, which has linked the town’s east and west since the end of World War II, will be replaced by a taller, wider bridge designed to allow double-stacked freight trains to safely pass beneath.

Inland Rail has released the first look at its long-awaited transport plan, which it says has been designed to keep residents connected throughout the closure.

◾️ TRAFFIC CHANGES

The scheduled shutdown of Kemp Street bridge is expected to cause significant disruptions to Junee’s road network, particularly around the Olympic Highway level crossing, where traffic volumes are set to surge.

Currently, more than 4,200 vehicles use the crossing daily — including through traffic, local business operators, and heavy vehicles.

It’s estimated that more than 6,000 vehicles will cross the level crossing each day during the bridge closure | Photo: Google Maps

Once the bridge closes, that figure is expected to rise by up to 2,000 extra vehicles per day, creating peak periods of 300–400 vehicles per hour, or roughly 25–30 cars approaching or rerouting during a typical four-to-five-minute boom gate closure.

To help ease congestion, Seignior Street’s southbound lanes between the Broadway roundabout and Gaba Tepe Avenue will temporarily be widened to two lanes, extending the right-turn lane and allowing more vehicles to queue without blocking through traffic.

To facilitate this, nose-to-kerb parking on the western side of Seignior Street will switch to parallel parking for the duration of the works.

According to a council report, this change will temporarily remove around nine parking spaces but leave 10 spaces directly in front of the Junee Hotel as 60-degree parking.

The plan was first discussed at an extraordinary Local Transport Forum on August 7 and later endorsed by councillors at last week’s Junee Shire Council meeting.

“There is sufficient public parking within a 200m radius of the impacted area to support alternative car parking options to existing businesses impacted by the temporary closure of nine carparking spaces,” a report to the August 19 meeting said.

“This includes on Broadway Street, where the end closest to the Junee Hotel is underutilised. Additionally, people can park on the opposite side of Seignior Street and down Gaba Tepe Avenue.”

But not everyone agrees with the move.

Brendan and Emma Reynolds, owners of the Junee Hotel, told council the parking change could hurt their business and argued there hadn’t been adequate consultation.

They’ve called for the street widening works to be halted until a better solution is found, warning reduced parking could impact patronage and turnover.

Council maintains that Inland Rail is responsible for the broader consultation and says the temporary parking shift may not be needed for the entire 18-month period, pending the development of alternative heavy vehicle detour routes.

Inland Rail has also deployed variable messaging signs across town to give drivers advanced warning of delays, and the train driver changeover point will be shifted further along the line to shorten level crossing closure times, which have historically lasted up to 20 minutes.

Line-marking works to facilitate the Seignior Street upgrade will begin on Wednesday, September 3, ahead of the Kemp Street bridge closure on Friday, September 5.

Finally, the low-lying connections to Railway Parade and Railway Lane from Kemp Street will be permanently closed to accommodate the raised roadway required for the taller bridge.

Council endorsed the closure in May, acknowledging it will place additional pressure on Harold Street.

◾️ TRANSPORT PLAN

Inland Rail released the first look at its transport plan on Friday, August 22, which it says has been designed to help residents, students, and businesses navigate the 18-month bridge closure.

A free daily community shuttle will connect Junee’s east and west, running every 30 minutes during peak times in the morning and afternoon and hourly during off-peak periods.

Using a “hail and ride” system, temporary signage will mark pick-up locations, with the service catering to school-aged children, elderly residents, and people with mobility needs.

For those who need to travel outside the shuttle’s operating hours — including early mornings, evenings, and late nights — Inland Rail will provide flexible taxi vouchers for eligible residents.

Priority will be given to those who are transport-dependent, elderly, or have mobility or special needs. Inland Rail says the program will be reviewed regularly to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the community.

School students will also be supported, with existing school buses rerouted via the Olympic Highway and a dedicated student shuttle operating at school start and finish times.

Passes for the student shuttle will be distributed directly through schools, and students will also be able to use the free community shuttle on weekends.

Inland Rail says detailed timetables, maps, and stop locations will be released in the coming days via schools, community notices, and project updates.

For more information on the community transport options, click here.

◾️ LONG-AWAITED TRANSFORMATION

Earlier this month, Inland Rail unveiled the first detailed designs for the new Kemp Street bridge, giving locals their clearest view yet of how the project will transform one of Junee’s most important connections.

The modern, elevated overpass will feature a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist pathway along its northern side overlooking the Junee Yard, separated from traffic by a safety barrier and fully compliant with the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

Photo: Supplied/Inland Rail

Access will be provided via looping landscaped ramps at either end — including a sweeping southern ramp connecting into a redesigned intersection at Kemp and Seignior Streets and an eastern ramp linking near the Junee Skate Park on Edgar Street.

The design also incorporates continuous anti-throw screens, protective guardrails, wider intersections, and clearly marked turning lanes to improve safety and usability for all road users.

Landscaped embankments will frame the approaches, and heritage elements from the original 1945 structure, including the iconic red brick abutments, will be thoughtfully incorporated into the landscaping to retain a visual connection to Junee’s history.

Developed in partnership with the NSW Government and Junee Shire Council, the proposed bridge will provide the structural capacity for Heavy Mass Loading (HML) and has been reviewed by the NSW State Design Review Panel to ensure it meets strict safety, environmental, urban design and technical standards.

◾️ BEST OUTCOME FOR JUNEE: Mayor

Commenting on the release of the bridge’s design, Junee mayor Bob Callow said it was the best outcome for the town.

“There has been a lot of work go into this project, with Junee Council seeking many adjustments to suit the Junee people, the pedestrian underpass and ramps being just a few,” Mayor Callow said.

“There has to be careful consideration between Inland Rail, Transport for NSW and Junee Shire Council to come to a design that not only suits the Junee community, but lasts well into the future.

“It may not be perfect in everyone’s eyes, however, with so many stakeholders involved, I believe we have the best outcome. There will be some inconvenience during construction, I just hope everyone will see the long term benefits over the short term inconveniences.”

◾️ BRIDGE HISTORY: Spanning Generations

After more than half a century of debate and delayed proposals, Junee’s Kemp Street overbridge officially opened to traffic on March 8, 1945 — marking a pivotal moment in the town’s development and transport infrastructure.

Junee’s existing Kemp Street overbridge was officially opened on 8 March 1945 | Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

An overhead railway crossing was first seriously proposed in 1911, when then–Railway Commissioner J. Johnson suggested a bridge from Stewart Street to Seignior Street.

The £8000 project would have been two-thirds funded by the Railway Department.

However, despite support from Mayor W. J. Hiscock, Junee Municipal Council rejected the offer, a decision that would stall the project for more than three decades.

It wasn’t until the early 1940s that formal plans began to take shape for the bridge we know today.

On August 11, 1942, the Daily Advertiser reported on revised blueprints for a long traffic bridge spanning the trunk line.

Originally planned to curve from Pretoria Avenue toward George Street, the design was later revised to follow a straight route, narrowly avoiding the backyard of the Locomotive Hotel.

The updated alignment would rise at the base of Kemp Street, pass over Edgar Street and Railway Parade, and descend just clear of the hotel’s rear boundary.

This required the resumption of several businesses and private homes, including a bakery and butcher shop near the corner of Edgar and George Streets.

Lighting concerns were also addressed shortly before completion.

In February 1945, council minutes revealed that the Railway Department would install four lamps on the bridge, while Junee Municipal Council would handle lighting on Ducker and Kemp Streets, all powered by the town supply.

The bridge officially opened to traffic on March 8, 1945.

The first to cross was a drover on horseback — briefly reprimanded, then waved through — in a moment that became a quirky and symbolic inauguration.

The milestone followed decades of intermittent agitation by residents, and represented a crucial connection between Junee’s eastern and western halves.

Just two months later, in May 1945, the Daily Advertiser reported the bridge would already need to be raised an additional 15 inches to meet new clearance requirements.

Now, after standing for eight decades, the Kemp Street bridge is again on the cusp of transformation, this time to meet the demands of a 21st-century freight network.

◾️ LOOKING AHEAD

Once the Inland Rail connection to Brisbane is complete, the 1,600-kilometre line is expected to significantly boost freight traffic through Junee, with up to 20 trains per day by 2040, up from the current average of 12.

Double-stacked trains could stretch as long as 1.8 kilometres, each removing the equivalent of 110 D-double trucks from regional roads.

Currently, freight trains between Albury and Illabo range from 400 to 1,600 metres in length.