Congratulations to the Echuca-Moama Bridge Project (EMBP) team who have won 2 prestigious PRIA Golden Target 2022 Awards in recognition of its outstanding work delivering a hugely successful end-of-works event for the $323.7 million project.
On a sunny Sunday in April, more than 8,000 people packed the project’s signature achievement, the new crossing over the Murray River, in what local media dubbed ‘the walk of the people’.
Our objective for the event was simple – to ensure the community felt connected to this historic moment and had exclusive access to the bridge prior to it opening to traffic the following day.
The event gave all members of the community a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk the region's newest river crossing before it opened to traffic. Attendees were treated to a pass-by from a flotilla of historic paddle steamers, thrilling stunts from aerobatic planes and performances from local marching bands.
To cater for people with mobility requirements, a convoy of buses transported more than 150 people on to the new bridge prior to the event opening to pedestrians, allowing mobility scooters to access the bridge.
The remarkable community turn-out to the event exceeded our anticipated attendance of 5,000 by 60%, with the project receiving great positive feedback, due in large part to the success of the event. In addition, residents have told us they believe the project will leave a lasting benefit for the community, which includes an impressive Aboriginal-themed artwork in Victoria Park, Echuca.
The event also received extensive coverage from all major TV networks and was covered in several major media outlets including The Guardian, Herald Sun and The Australian, as well as regional press The Riverine Herald, Bendigo Advertiser and Campaspe News.
The project has transformed travel between Echuca and Moama, giving the border towns a second crossing over the Murray River after 140 years of connection by a single bridge, slashing travel times and giving local roads back to locals.
The EMBP team were the Golden Target Award winners for the Regional Communications Campaign and also won a silver golden target award for the Experiential or Activation Campaign. The PRIA Golden Target Awards are Australia’s longest-running and most prestigious public relations and communications industry awards.
Find out more information about the Echuca-Moama Bridge Project.