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Bridge strengthening for freight

The bridge strengthening program is designed to bolster the productivity of the freight network by increasing the capacity of the road and rail overpasses that dot the network. The program complements the development of the High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) Network which supports the industry’s most efficient road-freight combinations.

A program of bridge strengthening

Bridge strengthening delivers an immediate efficiency dividend by better connecting Victoria’s freight to its destination.

The program that is particularly beneficial to Victoria’s primary producers, who rely on road transport for at least the first leg - and often the entire journey - to port.

Bridges with access restrictions force road transport operators to use vehicles with less payload capacity to move freight less efficiently or use more circuitous routes to service their customers, adding cost and damaging Victoria’s export competitiveness.

Most Victorian bridges were built when the heaviest combination on the network was only 33 tonnes.

Even a number of freeways built as recently as the 1990s have overpasses unable to cater for the industry’s most efficient road-freight combinations.

Up to date information on current and proposed bridge strengthening projects can be found on the "HPFV B-Double" and "HPFV A-Doubles" maps on the VicRoads website(opens in a new window).

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