Drivers travelling through Cattai can now cross Little Cattai Creek with greater confidence after major flood damage repairs to the bridge were officially completed and it’s not just motorists benefiting from the upgrade.
The project, carried out by Transport for NSW, repaired significant damage caused by the record-breaking 2022 floods and included additional works designed to better protect the bridge against future extreme weather events.
Located along a key rural transport route connecting Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry Road and Cattai Road, the bridge plays an important role for local residents, commuters, school traffic and agricultural transport moving through the district.
Work crews installed approximately:
- 390 cubic metres of rock protection across the bridge base, embankments and creek bed,
- as well as one tonne of stabilising resin beneath the structure,
to help reduce future erosion and strengthen the crossing against flood impacts.
Construction began in March and was carefully planned to minimise disruption to local traffic and surrounding wildlife including some very small and very important local residents.
A colony of microbats living near the bridge became an unexpected focus of the project, with temporary bat nesting boxes installed on either side of the creek during construction works.
The specially designed multi-chambered boxes were positioned close to the water’s edge to provide safe maternity roosting habitat while repairs were underway.
Mounted about 1.5 metres above the ground and within easy flying distance of the creek, the replacement roosts allowed the bats to continue accessing the area safely while heavy works were carried out nearby.
The project has been welcomed as an example of how infrastructure upgrades can be balanced with environmental protection measures in sensitive natural areas.
For many Hawkesbury residents still recovering from the long-term impacts of repeated flood events, the bridge repairs are another reminder of the enormous amount of rebuilding and resilience work continuing quietly across the region.
And while the bridge itself may now be stronger than before, it seems the local microbats have also landed safely proving the Little Cattai Creek upgrade was a win for both locals and wildlife alike.
