Police unable to explain how barriers came to be blocking foot traffic on the Union Bridge between Albury and Wodonga

Its media department replied to The Border Mail on Tuesday after the path was blocked with barriers at the weekend amid the COVID border shutdown.

"Police were made aware of barricades on the pedestrian footbridge on the Lincoln Causeway but they had been pushed aside and were not impeding travel across the bridge," a spokesperson said.

"At this stage It is not known who authorised the placement of the barricades at the site."

Wodonga Council had raised concerns with police about the installation of the plastic barriers, with mayor Kev Poulton saying their personnel had not been consulted.

As of Monday afternoon, a shade tent had been erected near the Porta sculpture at the southern end of the bridge to house police to check on cyclists, walkers and joggers crossing the bridge.

"The policing presence at the site is 24 hours a day," the spokesperson said.

When the checkpoints were initially set up on the Lincoln Causeway there was no police monitoring foot traffic over the Union Bridge.

By contrast NSW police had officers rostered to guard the northern end of the footpath when the First State shut its border to Victoria for 138 days last year.