The load limit will change from six tonnes to three tonnes. The 20 km/h speed limit will remain in place.
According to the report submitted by the council’s community and planning director, a 2020 inspection revealed the bridge was in poor condition and was not capable of supporting trucks such as those belonging to the CFA.
The council resolved to write to the local CFA branch to inform it of the change.
The report said CFA vehicles ‘‘must not use the bridge under any circumstances’’ and there was a ‘‘very high risk of failure where the vehicle and the occupants may end up in the lake’’.
The decision to divert many vehicles now forces them to take the western side of Lake Nagambie through Kettles Rd, Weir Rd, Nagambie-Rushworth Rd and Vickers Rd.
The council will seal roughly 200 m of Reedy Lake Rd and about 2.47 km of Weir Rd (both gravel pavements) along the alternative route once it has secured government funding.
The council report revealed an ambulance under flashing lights would still be able to cross the bridge.
At the council’s recent meeting, Cr Melanie Likos moved the recommendation, which also included establishing a Kirwans Bridge working group to assist guiding the future direction of the bridge and installing cameras to help enforce and monitor bridge crossing rules.
‘‘Reducing the load capacity from six tonnes to three tonnes and continuing to impose a 20 km/h speed limit will maintain the integrity of the structure,’’ Cr Likos said.
‘‘We want to assure our community this is about safety.’’
In seconding the motion Cr Reg Dickinson said the council must look after the bridge to ensure its survival.
‘‘We’ve got to look after it, we’ve got to protect it and we’ve got to protect the public and now we’ll have some consultation with the community about it,’’ he said.
Cr Dickinson said it would be essential to have cameras at both ends of the bridge.
Council officers conducted a traffic count between January 19 and February 11 this year and during that time Kirwans Bridge averaged 532 vehicles per day.
The average speed was 24.4 km/h, with 25.5 per cent of drivers travelling 20 km/h or slower, while 56.4 per cent travelled at between 20 km/h and 30 km/h.
Alarmingly, nearly one-fifth of drivers were travelling at 30 km/h or more over the 130-year-old bridge, with one driver clocked at 73.7 km/h.
Roughly 2.5 per cent of the vehicles were towing a trailer, caravan or boat, and officers reported 7.2 per cent were two-axle trucks or buses.