Bridgefest in the west: bridges opened and named in the South West
Road users in South West Queensland welcomed the opening of the new Ward River bridge and the refurbished Angellala Creek bridge, both in Murweh Shire, on Sunday, 16 August 2009 with a community celebration.
At a combined cost of more than $20 million, the new bridges and upgraded approaches are valuable additions to the road network, improving safety for road users and reducing the likelihood of closures caused by flooding.
The Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace announced the bridges' new names at the opening as part of Queensland's 150th birthday celebrations (Q150).
The Ward River bridge was named 'Meecha Bridge', selected because the bridge's upgraded approaches pass through 'Meecha', a town about 17 km South-West of Charleville that was surveyed in 1890s but was never built. Naming the bridge after the would-be town is a tribute to many of our pioneers' unrealised dreams.
The Angellala Creek bridge was named 'The Annie Switzer Bridge' after the wife of a railway settler, who drowned tragically near the Creek and is buried nearby. The naming pays tribute to Annie’s tremendous courage and endurance and the many people like her that opened up the West.
The names were selected by panels of local representatives, including people from local councils, historical societies and Indigenous communities, who assessed about 100 submissions of new bridge names.
The Q150 bridge-namings have generated significant positive community interest and are part of a state-wide initiative to name more than 50 bridges across Queensland.
For more information, visit the Q150 website.
Last updated: 18 August 2009
