The budget and timeline for the ongoing restoration of the Story Bridge in Kangaroo Point have expanded from $80 million to $120 million and from five years to more than 10 years.
Infrastructure chairman Councillor Andrew Wines confirmed in a radio interview that work on the restoration is ongoing around the hotel. Whilst initially pegged as a small-scale painting project, Council made the changes to ensure that the bridge will remain safe for the public’s use for decades.
“This will be a 10-year process. The really extensive and difficult part comes after, which is the structure over the water,” Mr Wines said.
“This is the most important and iconic piece of engineering in the city and we want to make sure that this last the distance. I consider this [project] expensive but also necessary.”
The restoration project will now include strengthening and repairs, upgrades of the footpaths, re-coating of the steel beams, installation of a scaffolding (access) system including a specialised containment system that will work to protect the people from the lead paint of the old bridge, recoating of steel members (blasting and painting), and concrete repair and strengthening works.
“At the moment we are working underneath the bride and on the pillars to work on the metal surfaces of the structure itself, to strip them back, clean them, repair them if necessary and then repaint them.”
Story Bridge is 82 years old. Its full repainting job was announced more than three years ago.
The ongoing work is being delivered in a number of stages, with two stages on the southern approach to minimise impacts on the local community and all bridge users. Stage 1, which started in July 2020, is expected to be completed in June 2022. Stage 2, which started in August 2021, is going to move forward along Holman Street this June and will be completed by 2024.
Per the Council: “A site compound has been established in Captain Burke Park directly beneath the Story Bridge, between the bridge piers. This area has been fenced, with the rest of the park available to the community. This compound will be used as a lay-down area to store equipment and materials for the restoration project and other upcoming maintenance projects planned for the bridge.”
