Gustav Creek Structure Restoration Work

January 2026

As the pile installation works are due to commence Wednesday 21 January 2026 in the construction of Sooning Street Bridge, we are required to intermittently close the pedestrian footpath during pile installation works. 

The closure to all pedestrians will occur where cranes and heavy equipment is near the existing pedestrian bridge as a safety precaution. Currently the closure is planned until Friday 13 March 2026. This will occur between 7am - 4pm on Monday to Saturday. Due to the weather and other potential factors this is subject to change. 

We will be keeping the pedestrian bridge open 30 minutes in the morning before the start of school (8am - 8:30am) and 30 minutes in the afternoon after school (2:15pm - 2:45pm) finishes to reduce the impacts on students and parents attending the Magnetic Island State School.  

Electronic Message boards will be in operations to prior advice of closures. People planning to meet the ferry should allow plenty of time in the event that a detour via Kelly Street, Barton Street and Mandalay Street may be required.

Council apologises for this inconvenience.

March 2026

As pile installation has progressed on the Sooning Street bridge works, Council has needed to intermittently close the pedestrian footpath to ensure public safety, particularly when cranes and heavy equipment are operating near the existing pedestrian bridge.

These closures are currently occurring between 7am - 4pm on Monday to Saturday and may change depending on weather conditions or other unforeseen factors.

To minimise impacts on families attending Magnetic Island State School, the pedestrian bridge will remain open for a short window before and after school. It will be accessible from 8am - 8:30am in the morning and again from 2:15pm to 2:45pm in the afternoon. Outside of these times, temporary closures may be in place while construction activity continues.

Piling works are expected to be completed by Thursday 12 March 2026, with the pedestrian footpath scheduled to reopen on Friday 13 March 2026. Council apologises for any inconvenience and thanks the community for its patience as these important works are carried out.

April 2026

With pile installation complete the next key milestone activity is the construction of the concrete abutments and central pier headstock that hold the deck beams in place. The abutments are built on top of and connected to the piles.

We were able to form and pour the abutment on the health clinic side prior to Easter. If all goes to plan. the remaining abutment and central pier headstock should be completed late April.

The piles on the central pier and school abutment will be cut to size and reinforcing steel connections prepared on the piles in the week of 7 April 2026.

Manufacture of the 28 deck beams is completed with the first beams delivered on 8 April 2026. The deck beams are approximately 18m long and 800mm wide which will limit the number delivered to the island per day. All beams are on track for delivery in April.

The exiting pedestrian walkway will remain open with only minor closures anticipated when heavy lifting recommences on site.

May 2026

Townsville City Council is continuing progress on the Gustav Creek Structure Restoration project, with key structural works now approaching completion.

From 21 May 2026, major construction activities have commenced to install the bridge deck beams. A crane has been mobilised to site to lift and position these components, marking a significant milestone in the restoration process.

As part of these works, contractor BMD Constructions is:

• Transporting deck beams from Kelly Street to the Gustav Creek site

• Installing the beams using a crane

• Completing minor rock placement associated with the fishway.

These works are expected to take approximately six weeks, weather permitting, with construction activities occurring between 6am and 6pm. To ensure the bridge reopens to the community by the end of July, construction activities will transition to a seven-day work schedule. While works will occur daily, Sunday activities will be kept to a minimum where possible to reduce impacts on nearby residents.

July 2026

Sooning Street to reopen on 25 July

The Gustav Creek Structure Restoration project will reach an important milestone on Saturday 25 July 2026, with the road reopening to traffic and restoring access along Sooning Street.

The reopening follows extensive construction works to replace the culverts and improve the resilience of this key transport connection for the Magnetic Island community.

Sooning Street between Mandalay Street and Kelly Street will reopen to traffic from 3pm on Saturday 25 July 2026.

To mark the occasion, a community parade and celebration will be held between 1pm and 3pm prior to the road reopening. The event is being coordinated by Magnetic Island residents and community groups and will provide an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the reopening of the road and bridge. Information about the event is available through community channels.

Please note that no parking will be permitted within the current construction area, including the Post Office car park, between 1pm and 3pm on 25 July 2026 to facilitate the parade and community celebration.

While Sooning Street will reopen to traffic from 3pm on 25 July 2026, the project is not yet complete. BMD Constructions will remain on site undertaking final completion works until approximately mid-August 2026, weather permitting.

As part of these works, Sooning Street will be under traffic management and may be subject to temporary road closures between Mandalay Street and Kelly Street from 6am to 5pm, Monday 27 July 2026 to Friday 14 August 2026, to facilitate the completion of the remaining works. The road will reopen once all works have been completed.

Residents and visitors may also notice occasional traffic management measures, including portable traffic signals, while minor finishing works such as line marking, path connections and site clean-up activities are completed. These works are expected to have minimal impact and are necessary to finalise the project.

Council would like to thank residents, businesses and visitors for their patience and understanding throughout construction.

A separate official bridge opening ceremony is planned for September 2026 following the completion of all project works. Further details will be provided once arrangements are confirmed.

October 2026

Residents, businesses and visitors are now enjoying easier access across Magnetic Island following completed works on the Sooning Street bridge. The project involved more than 1,400 tonnes of concrete, 100 tonnes of reinforcing steel and 360 tonnes of asphalt, delivering a stronger and more resilient crossing for the community. A community celebration held to mark the reopening was well supported, and an official bridge opening was held in September. Council thanks everyone for their patience, understanding and support throughout the works.

March 2025

The Gustav Creek drainage structure, on Sooning Street, Nelly Bay sustained significant damage during the recent rainfall events. More than 2,000mm of rain has fallen in the Gustav Creek catchment since December.

Structural and environmental assessments were completed in late February, with Council staff and consultants meeting with the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning on 20 February 2025 to seek guidance on what type of structure would be acceptable under the current guidelines, acknowledging that any work in Gustav Creek is subject constraints relating to fishways and protected mangroves.

Council is currently working with consultants on preliminary design, demolition plans and delivery programs. Council’s replacement option for the structure has been submitted to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

Our teams are regularly on site and are removing debris where possible to lessen the damaged structure’s environmental impact.

We are aware that this week's high rainfalls are having an adverse effect on the road network integrity, particularly Kelly Street, which has increased traffic movements over areas that were damaged earlier this year.

Council will continue monitoring the condition of Kelly Street daily for urgent repairs until restoration of the section between Barton and Sooning Streets occurs after the wet season.

April 2025

Townsville City Council is preparing to remove the damaged culverts that span Gustav Creek on Sooning Street in Nelly Bay. The work will involve excavators and heavy construction equipment to remove broken asphalt and debris washed downstream. Once the work site is clear, demolition of the culverts will occur.

Council plans to transport this material to the mainland via barge. Trucks will transport the material to the Magnetic Island ferry terminal, where barge services will operate to facilitate these works. The frequency of these activities will depend on barge availability.

As the work progresses, there may also be stockpiling of material on-site within the road closure area. These operations will depend highly on weather conditions like rain and high tides.

A local contractor, BMD Constructions, will deliver these works on behalf of Council.

July 2025

Council is working with the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) to gain approvals for the bridge construction. Once we receive SARA approval, we will provide an update on construction timelines.

September 2025

Council is progressing with the design of the Sooning Street bridge in close collaboration with the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA). Council, contractors, and SARA have met three times as part of the pre-lodgement process. On 1 May 2025, SARA confirmed that the preferred design is a two-span bridge. During these initial discussions, SARA raised concerns regarding flood flow, fish movement, the existing water main, and rock protection.

On 30 June 2025, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) agreed to provide pre-lodgement advice for the bridge development application. SARA also confirmed that they would soon issue pre-lodgement advice to help progress the bridge development application.

On 4 July 2025, Council and SARA met to refine the fish passage design and outline the next steps for the development application. Final advice will be provided after DPI reviews the plans. Aligning the design with the State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP) will simplify the referral process.

Following these three meetings, Council received ‘in-principle’ approval in mid-July to proceed with the detailed design. Since then, SARA has indicated that the design meets their required guidelines. Council will continue to work closely with SARA representatives on this project. Once SARA grants final approval, we will share the details with residents.

Council understands the significance of this connection for daily travel, local businesses, and emergency access, and remains fully committed to restoring the bridge as quickly and safely as possible.

November 2025

Progress continues with several key milestones reached in September 2025. Design drawings for the bridge piles were finalised, and local business Humes has begun manufacturing these foundations.

The project has achieved its 50% design milestone, with both the 50% bridge design and final fishway design lodged as part of the Development Application process through State and Council planning areas.

As part of community feedback received during the October Magnetic Island Residents and Ratepayers Association (MIRRA) meeting, four additional pedestrian signs have been installed on the approaches to the Sooning Street bridge detour to improve safety and visibility.

On 24 September 2025, Council was advised of updated State Development Guidelines. Projects like Sooning Street, which incorporate fishway passages into their designs as part of the development approvals process, may be eligible for certain exemption – in particular if the works are funded under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) program.

Council is also undertaking landscaping maintenance and environmental remediation works within Gustav Creek, commencing Monday 27 October 2025 for one week. This includes the removal of large deadwood debris to help reduce the risk of riverbank erosion, in line with natural waterway design principles.

December 2025

Townsville City Council plans to transport equipment and materials from the mainland to the Sooning Street bridge laydown area in preparation for construction work to begin.

Transportation dates are to suit Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) permits, tide times, barge and tug availability. We expect delivery to occur between Monday 1 December and Thursday 18 December 2025.

Mobilisation activities:

• Monday 1 December to Friday 5 December – Mobilise to site

• Monday 8 December – Pile platform construction begins

• Tuesday 9 December – Delivery of Piles

• Tuesday 16 December – Delivery of pre-boring drilling rig, a drilling rig, and a service crane

As part of these works, Council will:

• Construct a platform for pile installation

• Barge the 28 x 18 metre piles to the Nelly Bay Marina and truck to site

• Land a barge on Horseshoe Bay beach to truck equipment to site

• Temporary removal of some road signage to allow oversize vehicle access.

Transportation of the equipment from the barge to site will require an oversized heavy vehicle and police escort. Traffic delays are expected – residents and visitors are encouraged to allow extra travel time when commuting around the Island.

Plant and equipment include a pre-boring drilling rig, a drilling rig, and a service crane.

Council has setup a temporary compound at 55-77 Kelly Street to store construction materials that we are unable to stockpile on site.

When not in use, we will store plant and equipment at the compound, alongside storage containers, tools, and materials.

There will be occasions when we deliver formwork, scaffolding, reinforcing steel, and other construction materials to our compound for sorting before transporting to site.

BMD, a local contractor, is delivering these works on behalf of Council.

We will continue to provide updates on our progress and any changes to the schedule.