The Road to Belridge: What the Briars Sharrow Bridge Upgrade means for us
The road to Belridge is changing — and for good reason.
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is currently undertaking a major upgrade of the Briars Sharrow Bridge on Briars Sharrow Road, the main route connecting Hoskinstown to the Kings Highway corridor (and to Canberra and Queanbeyan!). The new bridge will be 92 metres long, 4 metres higher than the existing crossing, and built above the 1-in-100-year flood level. It’s a long overdue investment in reliable access for this part of the region.
It is a project we genuinely welcome. The existing crossing has closed more than 15 times in a single three-year period due to flooding. A permanent, flood-resilient connection to Hoskinstown is good for this community, and good for the long-term future of Belridge. However, it does mean some short-term pain for the community here - and anyone visiting!
What it means for our timeline
The road closure on Briars Sharrow Road is expected to remain in place until late January 2027, with the bridge open to traffic by the end of that month. During this period, the detour adds approximately 40 minutes to the return trip for clients coming from Canberra, a significant imposition for anyone visiting their horse daily.
This is the primary reason we have pushed back our opening date. We made a deliberate decision not to ask clients to commit to agistment at Belridge while access was significantly disrupted. It didn't feel like the right way to begin.
What we're doing in the meantime
The additional time has not gone to waste. Pasture improvement, water infrastructure, and fencing works are continuing, and we are using this period to ensure that when we do open, everything is genuinely ready.
We remain on track to welcome our first horses once the bridge reopens, and we will be in touch with everyone on our waitlist with further details as that date approaches.
If you have questions about the access situation or want to understand the detour routes, the council's project page is kept up to date and worth bookmarking.
We look forward to welcoming you and your horses to Belridge.