Two wooden bridges will be replaced in Yarragon after falling into disrepair.
Baw Baw Shire councillors unanimously awarded a $1.37 million tender to replace the 50 to 60-year-old bridges in Factory Rd.
An officer report said the existing timber decking and steel girder bridges across the Moe River and Contour Drain in the north of Yarragon were "in disrepair and rapidly coming to the end of their useful design lives."
No longer complying with modern bridge standards, officers said council had applied to lower load limits by half as an interim safety measure.
The two new single lane concrete bridges will offer a SM1600 load capacity.
The report said council received four conforming tenders, with officers recommending Road & Bridge Pty Ltd be awarded $1,377,312.45 for the works.
The overall project, including site establishment, bridge works, roadworks and traffic management was allocated $2,158,600 in council's 2024/25 budget. However, this has since been reduced to $1.73 million.
The federal government will fund 80 per cent of the project - $1,384,000 - after council successfully applied for a "Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program". Council will fund the remaining $346,000.
A contingency amount is built into the budget, which the report said was likely to be utilised "given the complexity around a live waterway". This includes ground conditions, particularly around bridge abutments.
The environment management plan includes references to protecting pygmy perch, growling grass frogs and Narracan burrowing crayfish within the Moe River and Contour Drain. The project is not subject to a planning permit for the removal of native vegetation necessary to facilitate works.
Whilst the project will have some impact on local residents, council officers said Food and Fibre Gippsland as well as Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria had written letters of support. They stated the project "will create easier and safer access to agricultural and dairy farms that frequently use this route for their business."
Cr Brendan Kingwill said the decision was a "no-brainer."
"That bridge is probably on a heritage list somewhere," Cr Kingwill said. "It's a beautiful old bridge but it's not fit-for-purpose."
Cr Ben Lucas congratulated officers for securing the federal government grant.
"Bang for buck projects is what I'm all about, and this is a really good one," Cr Lucas said. "I love it when we co-contribute but I love it when external avenues contribute more."
With no alternate access to the area, Cr Tricia Jones said "we must build another bridge."
Cr Danny Goss said he believed these were the last two wooden bridges in the shire.
"It's quite a busy road and these need to be done," Cr Goss said, adding the old bridges would remain in place until the new bridges were completed.
"This is the type of infrastructure people are asking for and wanting," he said.
Cr Goss praised the federal government for its contribution to local infrastructure, adding "it's something that's badly needed in Baw Baw Shire."