Work to salvage and rebuild the pedestrian bridge across the Merri River at Woodford is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 22.

The pedestrian bridge was completed in early 2016 but sections were damaged or washed away by heavy floodwaters in September last year.

The reconstructed footbridge, a feature of the recently upgraded Wurrumbit Birrng Yaar-Jubilee Park, will have a modified design including a wider deck.

“The  new bridge will have a modular design with separate sections more able to withstand the impact of a large volume of water,” Director City Infrastructure Scott Cavanagh said.

“It will also be more cost-effective  to maintain.

“We are entering the wetter months of the year so as this work gets under way we will be carefully monitoring weather forecasts and river levels to ensure the work is delivered safely.

“We are keen to get the bridge re-opened as soon as we can and appreciate how patient the Woodford community has been while we sourced funding for a replacement bridge and reconsidered its design.

“Some permit issues slowed the replacement process and with their resolution imminent we can now progress with the replacement bridge.”

Funding for the project has been provided through the Victorian Government’s Natural Disaster Funding Assistance.