Council is pleased to advise that vehicle access to Redwood Forest via Cement Creek Road Bridge has been restored, following the completion of major upgrade works to the bridge.
A brand-new bridge allowing both vehicles and pedestrians to cross safely has been delivered, along with the repairing and sealing of Cement Creek Road leading up to the Redwoods Forest carpark.
The project had been previously delayed due to a landslip on the Warburton Highway, caused by flooding in 2022, which prevented the transport of heavy machinery to the works site until the highway was repaired.
Upgrading the bridge was a necessity due to the increased popularity and traffic to the Redwood Forest, improving the load capacity of the bridge and therefore the safety of visitors.
O’Shannassy Ward Councillor, Jim Child, said that now road access to the forest was available again, it was important that visitors to the area exhibited appropriate behaviours, particularly around parking.
“Vehicle access has been closed for quite some time so we’re expecting increased visitation to the area given the Redwoods Forest is one of the most visited locations in the Yarra Ranges,” Cr Child said.
“Like always, we ask that if you are visiting to please come with a backup plan in mind to see other areas of the Upper Yarra, if the Redwoods is too busy.
“What we don’t want to see is unsafe and illegal parking behaviour in the area, as it creates a major safety issue to other road users, as well as the potential damage it can cause to vegetation on roadsides.”
The $1.3m project was funded by The Federal Roads to Recovery Program, The Federal Bridge Renewal Program and The Victorian Government.
Parks Victoria is also planning to upgrade facilities inside the park. You can find out more on these works, and the estimated project timeline, by visiting their project page here.
