Representatives from the Wimmera River Improvement Committee, Horsham RSL sub-branch, contractor J. and R. Industries, Horsham Rural City Council and Regional Development Victoria were at Apex Island on Wednesday morning for a sod-turning ceremony.

The $1.2-million bridge will be known as the Anzac Centenary Bridge, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Australia’s involvement in the First World War.

The Horsham RSL sub-branch and the improvement committee formally requested council incorporate ‘Anzac’ into the bridge name.

The structure will stretch from the island – also known as Adventure Island – to Major Mitchell Drive.

Outgoing Horsham Mayor Mark Radford and Reg Bear from J. and R. Industries turned the first sod.

Council hoped work would originally start in April, but a design review caused delays.

Improvement committee chairman Gary Aitken said the bridge had been on the group’s wishlist since the early 2000s.

“It will link communities and be available for kids going to school to use, people to ride their bikes on and all those healthy things,” he said.

“The bridge will be well above the water level, so there will be no fear of skiers – when the time comes – hitting their heads. 

“There is heaps of room under the bridge for water activities.

“It is going to be one of the real icons of Horsham – there’s no doubt about that.”

The bridge is based on a similar suspension bridge J. and R. Industries constructed in Mudgee, NSW.

Many of the bridge’s non-structural elements have already been made.

A Regional Development Victoria Putting Locals First grant and a Southbank developer have helped fund the project, due to be finished by mid-2016.