The east’s historic swing bridge is beyond repair
THE troubled 97-year-old Gilberton swing bridge will be dismantled and replaced, despite promises it would be saved.
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THE troubled Gilberton swing bridge will be dismantled and replaced after an audit found the 97-year-old structure was beyond repair.
Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and Walkverille councils have contracted Civil Tech to start work this month to “decommission” the 57m-long bridge over the River Torrens. A new swing bridge to link Players Court, St Peters, with Severn St, Gilberton, was expected to be installed by January.
The councils had promised to repair the bridge – including replacing its hardwood deck and eight rope wires – after it was temporarily closed in 2015 due to safety concerns.
But they were forced to re-evaluate plans after the bridge was extensively damaged in last September’s storms.
NP&SP Mayor Robert Bria said a subsequent audit of the local heritage-listed structure found it was not safe for public use and needed to be replaced.
The rebuild was expected to cost $500,000 – the same amount that was budgeted for repair works.
Mr Bria, whose council will contribute $232,500 to the project, said the design would “respect the historical significance” of the structure while meeting modern safety standards. He said work would also be done to upgrade stairwells at the bridge’s entrances and install new signs.
“The swing bridge is a treasured asset and we, along with the Town of Walkerville, look forward to reopening it for our communities,” he said.