The Victorian Government is restoring the historic Dee Slip Bridge in the Yarra Ranges National Park, making it easier for walkers, cyclists and emergency vehicles to access the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail near Warburton.
Acting Minister for the Environment, Lily D’Ambrosio, today announced plans to repair and reopen the bridge with work will start this spring and the bridge expected to reopen in early 2026.
The Minister said the repairs will preserve the heritage of the bridge by following the same design and retaining as much of the existing timber as possible.
“The Dee Slip Bridge and the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail are popular with the local community and visitors from all across Victoria, repairing the bridge and restoring access along the trail is a great outcome,” said Ms D’Ambrosio.
“We’ll continue to invest in our national parks and their visitor facilities because we know how important they are to regional communities and our visitor economy.”
A new timber deck and handrail will be installed along with new horizontal steel beams to ensure the structure is durable and safe for visitors to cross.
The bridge was constructed in 1947 after the aqueduct collapsed and the force of the water flow created a large hole in the side of the embankment. For many years it has been used to access the O’Shannassy Aqueduct and the 30km-long walking trail alongside it, which runs from East Warburton to the Don Valley.
In 2021, the bridge was damaged when a large pine tree collapsed onto it. To keep the community safe, access to the bridge was closed and a new temporary bypass track on the low side of the bridge was created for public use in the interim.
The repair of the Dee Slip Bridge is part of the Asset Regeneration Program, a $24.76 million investment by the Allan Labor Government to remove unsafe infrastructure and repair or replace assets across Victorian parks.
