WHEN it comes to being regarded as noteworthy and worthy of extra loving care - even if not often recognised - heritage relics, the old McKanes Falls Bridge is right up there with them.
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Generations of travellers have traversed the old bridge spanning the Coxs River for over 126 years without a thought for its significance in the history of NSW, except perhaps to take a photo.
But a bronze plaque at the southern end of the structure pays tribute to the importance of this McDonald Truss construction and that of its builder, cattle stealing convict turned respectable gentry John A McDonald.
So too does a formal listing in the State Heritage Register.
And now the old girl is to benefit from some costly upgrades to extend its longevity.
The RMS has announced plans to invest large wads of cash on the bridge in a project that will focus on improved safety, structural integrity and increased load limits.
Public information sessions have been held in Lithgow and Hartley and the plans remain open for pubic comment at the Lithgow Council offices.
At present the bridge has a load limit of 15 tonnes which is widely regarded by regular users as a good policy in view of the narrow winding nature of McKanes Falls Road that would be potentially hazardous if shared with large vehicles.
It will not be the first time the bridge has undergone restoration, in fact five times between 1925 and 1986 for major works, as well as smaller maintenance projects.
The number of temporary closures prompted the Lithgow Mercury some years ago to paraphrase a popular pizza commercial of the time with a headline 'Ah McKanes, you've done it again''.
The biggest repair job was in 1986 when what was described as a one in 100 year flood surged down the Coxs River with such force that it literally twisted the bridge off its alignment, forcing its closure for months.
The impact of debris also damaged the central sandstone pier to the extent it had to be replaced with a concrete support.
The bridge was constructed in 1883 to provide railhead access in Lithgow for farms in the Hampton, Lowther area. It is now the only double truss McDonald bridge remaining in NSW.
These days it is a popular and scenic short cut between Bowenfels and the Jenolan Caves Road.
It will be closed for around 12 months once the work is under way.
The starting date will be determined following the fine tuning of design when public submissions close on November 20.
