The second of four bridges in Wallsend are set to be upgraded in an effort to alleviate flooding in the suburb.
Newcastle council awarded a contract to replace the Boscawen Street Bridge as part of its $20 million Ironbark Creek Flood Mitigation Plan.
The $5 million contract with Quickway Constructions Pty Ltd includes an increase to the height of Boscawen Street bridge deck and the span doubled to 24 metres. A new shared pathway will also form part of the structure. Construction is expected to begin mid-year.
The works are aimed at accommodating a potential future widening of the Hunter Water stormwater channel, which council has appeal to the state government for to no avail.
It comes after City of Newcastle completed a $3.3 million replacement of Tyrrell Street bridge in 2020. The Nelson Street bridge is also earmarked for replacement, while stormwater improvement upgrades are planned at Cowper Street Bridge.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said both the bridge replacements and the stormwater channel widening were crucial to combat flooding in Wallsend.
The main street went underwater after the channel overflowed in the Pasha Bulker storm of 2007 and the suburb been impacted by heavy rain in the years since.
Cr Nelmes raised the matter at Tuesday's council meeting, while discussing Hunter Water improvement works on the Throsby Creek channel in Litchfield Park, Mayfield.
She amended the motion to write to Hunter Water "reiterating council's multiple previous resolutions that its highest priority for stormwater channel widening and naturalisation in the Newcastle LGA is Ironbark Creek, Wallsend".
Liberal councillor Callum Pull also put up a request to urgently write to both major parties again seeking their commitment to fund future flood mitigation works in Wallsend. However he was heavily criticised by Labor and Greens councillors for not making a commitment himself as the Liberal state candidate for Wallsend.
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery has long advocated for flood mitigation efforts, however has not made a funding promise if her party wins the state election this month.
She said she tried to get information via Hunter Water, the government and a call for papers in the upper house, but has received no costings or details.
"As such, it is difficult to know the full details to be able to commit to funding the project, however, NSW Labor will conduct a feasibility study into options to mitigate flooding in Wallsend such as increasing the capacity of canals, including opportunities to partner with the City of Newcastle to deliver these solutions to the local community if elected," she said.
"I'm looking forward to working with a Minister for Water that will actually take serious the threats to our community that the Liberals have ignored for the last 12 years".
NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson was contacted for comment.
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