After reading the letters from Bill Richards and Don Erck re: placement of a replacement bridge, I am dismayed that council can still see fit to support option 9a.
Option 4b is a better fit from a common sense point of view, but that commodity (in my opinion) seems to be sadly lacking in those charged with making a decision which will be impacting upon Swan Hill long after they have departed the scene.
In my opinion the choice of 9a smacks of short term opportunism rather than long term thinking and planning to give the greatest benefit to the greatest number.
When submissions from the public were invited, I submitted one which was acknowledged and has promptly sunk without a trace.
In it, I proposed constructing a new high level bridge further downstream to connect with the Murray Valley Highway at the Karinie Street roundabout area.
This position fulfills many desiderata, as does option 4b, and leaves the Riverside Park area alone and free of totally unnecessary upheaval, inconvenience and expensive re-development.
A re-think is needed before the bridge becomes akin to the Ancient Mariner’s albatross.
9a is the wrong bridge in the wrong place.
Fix the problem without creating a multitude of other problems.
A high level bridge away from the CBD is the only sensible long-term solution.
