Parks Victoria to repair and reopen the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Dee Slip Bridge
Monday 14 July, 2025
Repairs to the Dee Slip Bridge in the Yarra Ranges National Park are about to begin, restoring pedestrian, cyclist and emergency vehicle access along the much-loved O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail on Wurundjeri Country.
After engaging a team of engineers and expert consultants, Parks Victoria has finalised a design that will restore visitor access across the bridge and preserve its heritage values.
The repairs will keep to the original design of the bridge and retain as much of the existing timber as possible.
A new timber deck and handrail will be installed, in keeping with the original design. New horizontal steel beams will be also added to remove the reliance on deteriorating timber.
The repairs will also replace the existing timber crossheads with steel sections and install new supports at either end of the bridge.
Parks Victoria expects construction to start in spring 2025, with the bridge scheduled to reopen in early 2026.
The repairs will keep as many of the existing materials as possible and will preserve the heritage value of the bridge.
To support a safe and efficient construction period, there will be no access over the bridge or via the bypass track during the construction period. Due to heavy vehicle activity, including the transportation of materials, partial closures along the O’Shannassy Aqueduct trail will be required between Dee Road to the west in Millgrove and Sussex Street to the east in Warburton. The trail will remain open east of Sussex Street.
As part of the planning process, Parks Victoria also conducted extensive consultation with Forest Fire Management Victoria to ensure their emergency access needs are met.
The timber trestle bridge was constructed in 1947 after the aqueduct collapsed and the force of the water flow created a large hole in the side of the embankment. For many years the bridge has been used as access to both the aqueduct and the walking trail.
The bridge was closed to vehicles in 2017 after engineers determined it to be nearing the end of its useful life.
In 2021, the bridge was damaged when a large pine tree collapsed onto it. To keep the community safe, access to the bridge was closed and a new temporary bypass track on the low side of the bridge was created for public use in the interim.
The repair of the Dee Slip Bridge is part of the Asset Regeneration Program, a $24.76 million investment by the Victorian Government to remove unsafe infrastructure and repair or replace assets across Victorian parks.