The Valley seems to have gotten itself into a tizzy over the logistics of the proposed Lanes Bridge replacement after a local television news network erroneously reported that the bridge was scheduled to close for at least three months while the replacement is installed.

Like a spark to tinder, the rumour wildfire grew.

A post shared across several Facebook groups even advised that the bridge was due to be closed from July onwards.

But mayor Rhonda Hoban and council general manager Michael Coulter have both said there couldn’t possibly be any legitimacy to the rumours, nor the news report, because the matter is yet to be reported to council.

“Council staff have not completed the development of costed options for the bridge replacement,” Mr Coulter said.

“No costed options have been put to me let alone the elected council.  And even when costed options are put to the elected council what would follow would be a process of community consultation (assuming there was any temporary change in service levels).”

Council staff have been hunting for designs and options and costing them since the second round of funding was announced in December last year.

“It’s my expectation that a report will come to council before the end of the financial year,” Cr Hoban said.

“And I don’t usually presume to speak for other councillors, but I think I know them all well enough now to say that they would not make a decision of this magnitude until they were sure they had all the relevant information before them.”

As far as the mayor’s concerned, there are three logistical routes the Valley could go down, each with their own inconveniences:

In the case of the first option, locals, farmers, drivers and businesses who regularly use the bridge will suffer.

So too would local businesses on High St and surrounds who rely on custom from the residents on the northern bank of the river; with a 20km+ detour in place which passes through Macksville, only the most conscientious locals would keep buying Bowra-made.

“I do recognise that if there is a prolonged closure people do form new shopping habits,” Cr Hoban said.

But the second option of a side-track would incur massive costs in order to reroute the road.

“And what would happen if there was a huge flood that came and washed it all away? All that money would be washed down the river too,” mayor Hoban said.

And the final option could mean prohibitive costs too, with geotechnical and environmental surveys needed in order to build new abutments.

“A lot of prime money is spent before you even turn a sod of dirt,” Cr Hoban said.

“Just remember, even though we have government funding, there is a significant amount that will still have to come out of ratepayer pockets.” 

But she has not given up hopes of procuring more funding for the project from other grant opportunities: “The more money, the more realistic and viable all options become.”

And as far as logistics go, well it’s enough to do one’s head in.

Along with a verdant tree line right up to the bridge, there is also a narrow road easement, and a park and public amenities on the southern bank.

Then there’s also the question of whether the deck level of the bridge should be raised higher, in order to reduce the number of flood-affected days for the community.

But that hypothetical brings with it a whole new realm of implications.

“The most obvious being the cost/benefit of different deck levels and road approaches in terms of flood frequency; the levels of the connecting road and bridge network (ie, not much point in having Lanes Bridge sitting above the flood level when the connecting roads and bridges have been cut by floodwater; any upstream flood impacts that might impact on private property; constructability/total cost,” Mr Coulter said.

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So, you see, there is no simple solution to Bowra’s $2 million baby.

But you can rest assured that council has committed itself to asking the public for help in the decision-making process, once the engineering department’s report has been brought before them.