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Craig, the abuttment around the Oldfield River bridge has washed away. FESA were going up to look in a helicopter this arvo to see if any of the gravel roads are passable.
Last time this happened they shut heaps of roads to prevent cars damaging them. To get from Esperance to Ravy, the only detour went via Grass Patch and north Lort River area. Added about 150km to the journey.
Hopefully it won't be as bad this time (three entire bridges were out then). I have to go to Ravy & Hopetoun on Monday.
If you're still there and I can get through, I'll pick you up on the way back if you'd like!
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Storm Damage
Jamo,
I dont think the road will even be close to being open on Monday. The surveyor I spoke to reckons we will be lucky if we can divert traffic around this area within a week. More like 3 weeks. Did a run out last night and had a look. There are pics in the gallery. Will try and load some here. BHP have charted a plane to fly us out on Monday night back to Esperance and another for Friday, so this is probablly some sort of indication on how long.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/01/247.jpg
SW Hwy at Oldfield River, just west of Munglinup. Still 800mm of water flowing this morning. Usually no flow at all this time of year. Usually mor like a creek.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/01/248.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/01/249.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...007/01/250.jpg
Lee road, the road form site to the Ravensthorpe airport. Not expected to open until Monday. SW Hwy closed with exemption to transport people by bus from site via Rav to airport.
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Big job to fix that one!!!!!
Hopefully the bridge isnt too damaged once the water drops.Looks like its taken the bank out.
Andrew
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Same thing happened in 1999, except then three bridges went out the same way (one of which had gone only two years prior). Took them about 6 weeks to get the abutments back in order and then they finally replaced one bridge entirely last year.
Detours will have to wait until the gravel roads dry out.
The papers called in 'once in a lifetime'. Rubbish. I'm sure I was alive in 1997 and 1999 and all the other times it's happened prior to this one.
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Choppers were up and around here this afternoon, saw two about 5 minutes apart, a decent jetranger and the Esperance based egg beater (the one that does tourist flights) and a few planes, not to mention us having on 6 or 7 flights on Per-Rav-Per. Geez you would think one of the choppers would have landed and given me a lift back hey. The roads are starting to dry out nicely, but the Oldfield River crossings are still out a fair way up I believe.
