A historic bridge over the Shoalwater River will be resurfaced for use a a shared pedestrian/cycling crossing.
The fate of the 143-year-old Nowra Bridge has been under review since the completion of the new $240 million four-lane concrete structure earlier this year.
Suggestions thrown up during the public feedback phase included restoring the bridge to a standard where it could be used to ease traffic congestion and provide faster crossing for emergency services during busy times, such as school holidays.
Another person proposed re-purposing it as a railway bridge, in line with the original design plans in the late 1870s and early 188os.
However the review found those ideas were not practical.
The old bridge, which is heritage listed, was designed by American engineer Charles Shaler Smith and was initially intended for rail use, as part of a plan to extend the Illawarra line to Jervis Bay and Eden. It was converted for road traffic after the proposed railway extension never came to fruition.
