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Pre-RFP Intelligence · Civil Construction · Local Government

MidCoast's $44m Bight Bridge Replacement: What Bridge Contractors Can Know Before the Tender

Didi Tian6 min read
0:00 / 6:40
Aerial view of a part-built concrete bridge across a calm river, girders placed on the first spans and bare piers beyond (illustrative image)

If your business builds bridges in NSW, the Bight Bridge replacement is an estimated $44m job about to go to tender, and it's worth getting across now.

MidCoast Council is replacing the Bight Bridge in Wingham, which was damaged in the May 2025 flood. Before the tender documents are released, the council's own meeting papers already describe the job in useful detail: how far the design has gone, what the council expects it to cost, how the grant funding will be set and when a decision is likely.

Key points

  • Design development on the Bight Bridge replacement is 80% complete.
  • The estimated cost has been revised to $44m.
  • The NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) gave preliminary scope approval on 21 August 2026.
  • The council will use the tender responses to set the upper limit of the grant funding.
  • The tender is on track for release at the end of October 2026, with the tender report likely to go to the February council meeting.

What do MidCoast Council's papers say about the Bight Bridge?

The 30 September 2026 Ordinary Meeting agenda includes a flood recovery update with a section on the Bight Bridge. It sets out where the project is up to:

  • Design: 80% design development has been completed.
  • Cost: the estimated cost has been revised to $44m, to allow for the complexity of demolishing and removing the old bridge. NSWRA has confirmed verbally that this is in line with its observation of costs on similar projects.
  • Approval: NSWRA gave preliminary scope approval on 21 August 2026, which allows the council to go to market and obtain competitive tender pricing.
  • Funding: the council will use the tender responses to establish the upper limit of the grant funding.
  • The bridge: the new alignment is proposed downstream of the old bridge, with a provisional length of 175m (the old bridge is 160m). The deck will be higher than the existing one, because of significant embankment scour during the May 2025 flood and the need to tie into current road levels.

The funding point is worth noticing. On this job, the prices that come back don't only decide who builds the bridge. They also help set how much grant money the project receives.

What's the timing for the Bight Bridge tender?

The agenda for the council's 28 October 2026 Ordinary Meeting gives the latest timing. The Bight Bridge tender documents are being finalised, the tender is on track for release at the end of October, and the tender report is likely to be presented at the February council meeting.

MidCoast publishes its tenders through VendorPanel.

What about the Tiri Bridge tender?

The same program covers a second replacement, Tiri Bridge, which received preliminary scope approval from NSWRA on the same day. Its tender is already out and closes at 2pm on 11 November 2026. According to the 28 October agenda, 14 companies attended the mandatory tender meeting, and the tender evaluation is expected to go to the December 2026 council meeting.

The council's papers describe the new Tiri Bridge as downstream of the old one, with a provisional length of 100m (the old bridge is 60m) and a deck about 2.5m higher, because of significant embankment scour and debris from the May 2025 flood and the need to tie into existing infrastructure.

The council has received about $14.2m in advance funding from NSWRA for the investigation, design, project management and tendering of the two bridges.

What does this mean for bridge contractors?

For an owner or estimating lead, the value here is the head start. Before the tender documents are out, you can already see the council's estimate and why it went up, the bridge length and alignment, how the funding will be set and roughly when a decision will be made.

That's enough to make an early call on whether the job suits your team, line up the people and equipment you'd need, and price with that information in hand rather than starting cold on release day.

Council meeting papers like these are a useful early source of civil work. If you want a method for reading them, see our guide to using council meeting minutes and capital works budgets to spot tenders early. For how funded council roads, drainage and bridge work turns into tenders, see council civil works and how to build a civil tender pipeline you can forecast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Bight Bridge replacement estimated to cost?

MidCoast Council's 30 September 2026 agenda says the estimated cost has been revised to $44m, to allow for the complexity of demolishing and removing the old bridge.

When will the Bight Bridge tender be released?

The agenda for the council's 28 October 2026 Ordinary Meeting says the tender is on track for release at the end of October 2026, with the tender report likely to go to the February council meeting.

How will the grant funding for the Bight Bridge be set?

The NSW Reconstruction Authority gave preliminary scope approval on 21 August 2026. The council will use the tender responses to establish the upper limit of the grant funding.

Where does MidCoast Council publish its tenders?

MidCoast Council publishes its tenders through VendorPanel.

When does the Tiri Bridge tender close?

The Tiri Bridge replacement tender closes at 2pm on 11 November 2026, according to MidCoast Council's VendorPanel listing.

Sources

This article is based on the council's public papers as at 27 October 2026. Dates and approvals can change, so check MidCoast's tender notice and documents before relying on them.

Construction workers crossing a concrete slab at dusk, seen from above

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