Project Manager at Forbes Shire Council, Josh Devitt said possible wet weather won’t dramatically affect the final stages of work, now the concrete is down.

“We are slightly ahead of our program,” Mr Devitt said.

On Tuesday, Civil and Allied – the company that has the tender for the project – employed a 42 metre concrete pump to lay 72 cubic metres of concrete over the top of the bridge.

The concrete paves the way for one lane and a walkway where the north-bound lane once was.

To support the new concrete deck Mr Devitt said much of the old bridge is left standing, reinforced by steel girders.

“We’ve tried to use as much of [the pre-existing] Bates Bridge as possible,” Mr Devitt said.

Mr Devitt said while care has been taken to make use of the old structure, much of it had to be replaced.

Adrian Ansley, a partner of the Cowra-based tendering company said he thought council was right to close the bridge for repairs.

“When we exposed [some of] the old girders, they were completely rotten,” Mr Ansley said.

Andrew Rousell, Maintenance Supervisor at Forbes Shire Council said he has spent some time working on the bridge before it was closed two years ago.

“None of us knew quite the extent of the damage,” Mr Rousell said.

“It’s been an ongoing issue, with the age of the bridge.”

Now that concrete has been put down, Mr Devitt said the old side-walk will need to be removed in pieces by crane.

Mr Devitt said the side walk was causing the bridge to be off-balance.

He also said the original side railings – those which are not on the current side walk to be removed – will be kept in place and additional railings will need to be erected where the one lane road and new walkway are to be.

“We will be putting railings up that were on Bates Bridge already,” Mr Devitt said, providing those railings are in an acceptable condition.