Tucked into the lower slopes of Mount Donna Buang near Warburton, Dee Slip Bridge is a historic timber trestle bridge carrying the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail through Yarra Ranges National Park. It is the only timber trestle bridge on the O’Shannassy Aqueduct system, spanning a gully where the aqueduct maintenance track and the public walking and cycling trail run side by side. After being closed since 2021, the reconstructed bridge reopened to visitors in April 2026, and full access has once again been restored along the trail.
The bridge sits along the 30 km O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, which follows an open-channel aqueduct between Dee Road in Millgrove and Sussex Street in Warburton. The route threads through dense fern gullies and creeks with views out over the valley, making it a favourite of both locals and visitors. The bridge itself is open to walkers and cyclists, and has been rebuilt so it can once again carry firefighting and management vehicles when needed.
The name dates back to the bridge’s origins. It was first built in 1947 after a section of the aqueduct collapsed and the rushing water gouged a large ‘slip’ out of the embankment. Closed to vehicles in 2017 following an engineering assessment, the bridge was forced shut altogether in 2021 when a large pine tree fell across it and it was deemed unsafe. Reconstruction works began in November 2025.
The April 2026 restoration was carried out under Parks Victoria’s Asset Regeneration Program. Original timber piles were retained where they remained structurally sound, rotted 1947 piles were replaced, and a new timber deck and handrail were added, with horizontal steel beams integrated for reinforcement. Care was taken to keep the original timber aesthetic, which Parks Victoria’s Non-Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Programs Senior Advisor, Dr Kim Wilson, has highlighted as an important heritage element of the structure. There is no street address or named trailhead for the bridge itself; reach it on foot or by bike via the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail.