Pedestrians must use an at-grade level crossing after WA’s Public Transport Authority closed a bridge which was found to be dangerous.
Toodyay, a town 70 kilometres north-east of Perth in WA’s Wheatbelt region, has a station on PTA’s Eastern Railway.
After consultation with the freight rail operator Arc Infrastructure, the PTA has closed a footbridge over the railway in Toodyay, at Duke Street.
The closure, in place since May, has forced pedestrians to use a nearby level crossing, but the PTA’s case is that the footbridge was too dangerous to use.
The PTA this week said the bridge will be demolished.
“The bridge does not meet current disability standards, the decking is uneven with protruding nails, and it has railing which is old and in need of replacement,” the PTA said.
“In addition to the significant works that would be required to address these issues, the bridge is also non-compliant with current railway design guidelines and standards, meaning it would need to be replaced altogether which could cost millions of dollars.”
At least one local resident has reported to the PTA that they were injured after tripping over on the bridge, just before its closure.
The PTA told the Shire of Toodyay it would “support” efforts to maintain the existing bridge, or to build a new one, but said it would not fund either option.
“The PTA will be undertaking improvement and repair work to the existing at-grade crossing before closing and demolishing the existing bridge,” the PTA said.
“It is the PTA’s position that, under the Public Works Act, both the at-grade and bridge crossings are the Shire’s responsibility, but the PTA has continued to maintain them in good faith in recent years.”