The bridge was closed to all traffic for several hours yesterday after an oversize truck clipped two iron stress beams on Wednesday night, leaving them buckled and raising concerns about the bridge’s integrity.

Bathurst Regional Council workers rushed to close off the busy bridge to all traffic from 8.30pm until an assessment could be done.

With the bridge closed, traffic was diverted through Lloyds Road or Russell Street into Bathurst yesterday.

The closure affected many workers making their way into town yesterday morning and was a pain in the pocket for at least one South Bathurst business.

Metro Petroleum Bathurst manager Cheleen Koekemoer said the number of customers at her Rocket Street service station had been greatly reduced due to the bridge closure.

“We haven’t had a lot of clients like we normally do,” she said.

“It’s [the service station] now out of the way for some people with the bridge closed.

“We’ve hardly had any of our regular morning customers.”

Council works manager Simon Armitage said construction contractor group John Holland undertook a structural assessment before the bridge’s reopening mid yesterday afternoon.

“The bridge is now open to all traffic under 30 tonnes,” he said.

“John Holland will look and see if the bridge needs to be repaired.”

A statement issued by John Holland said an analysis of “load rating” will be conducted on the bridge for a possible removal of restrictions into the future.

Prominent Bathurst historian Alan McRae yesterday said the bridge opened in 1889 but he has not found any records of the bridge’s name.

■ Approval for the overhead iron railway bridge granted by Bathurst council on September 17, 1884.

■ Two contracts issued for bridge  construction – one for iron bridge, the other for associated brick works.

■ The original plan was to have a 20 foot (6.09 metres) high bridge. At completion it was 14.3 foot high (4.34 metres).

■ Built at a cost of 11,758 pounds. 

■ Completed in 1889.