Greater Shepparton City Council manager project Peter Walsh said the bridge, which connects the Australian Botanic Gardens across the Broken River, is on track to be finished in late October.
“It has been a long journey, but it’s almost completed,” he said.
Mr Walsh said the bridge was “partially erected” with the decking and the boardwalks on either side left to build.
The project has been subject to numerous delays due to COVID-19 restrictions and was initially expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
Finding local construction workers was one of the main issues encountered last year, with the contractor's bridge erection and crane crew hailing from Sydney.
“Obviously it’s been impacted by COVID-19 and sourcing construction crews,” Mr Walsh said.
The build was also delayed by high river waters, which made it unsafe to operate cranes in the vicinity.
The shared pathways network connects native bushland and parks in Shepparton and its surrounds.
The project is jointly funded by state and federal governments and Greater Shepparton City Council.
In June 2021, an additional $420,000 in funding was announced by the council for a raised boardwalk either side of the bridge to raise the path above the flood level.
