Download the Full Report  free at the link below. This edition incorporates comments from an independent review of professional engineers who have made suggestions that further reinforce the importance of a Hampden Bridge Trust and also the economic sense of maintaining Hampden Bridge for another 100 years.

Preface to the 17^th Edition

In 2025 Transport for NSW released a draft Regional Integrated Transport Strategy (T. f. NSW Draft Illawarra Shoalhaven, Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan) for public comment.

As part of its objective to provide

•  a safe road network,
• to create a thriving and diversifying economy and
• in order to create a resilient transport network

It was also announced that Transport for NSW want to progress freight capacity upgrades for Hampden Bridge, Kangaroo Valley, first, by progressing the immediate installation of a temporary bridge and second, by planning for a long-term solution to provide 42.5 tonne vehicle load limit on the Illawarra Highway over Kangaroo River at Kangaroo Valley. (T. f. NSW Draft Illawarra Shoalhaven, Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan)

The NSW government invited comment by February 9, 2026[1]

The first iteration of this report provided feedback to the draft regional integrated transport strategy. Over the December 25/January 26 period comments by community and regional Shoalhaven and Illawarra residents were invited through the facebook page Hampden Bridge: "A Bridge for Eternity" and through many discussions and consultations.  Each part of this report was released in draft form beginning with an historical account of how Hampden Bridge was built in 1898:  “A Bridge for Eternity” released in November 2025 at this link: A Bridge for Eternity

The Report went through 12 editions, each new version entailing corrections and feedback from the community. In putting together “the report” it was expected that this process would go on ad infinitum as more and more people appreciated the elegance and importance of what de Burgh labelled simply “the bridge over the Kangaroo River”. This has proved to be the case.

This 17th edition (8 April 2026) incorporates comments by an independent group of expert civil and environmental engineers who kindly reviewed the recommendations we have put forward for repairs and strengthening of Hampden Bridge. All of their constructive suggestions have been adopted directly into the main text of this report (see the Independent Peer Review section and the updated strengthening phases and economic analysis in Tables 3, 4, A and B).

Hampden Bridge Group of Researchers and Supporters
April 8, 2026