This old bridge to be repaired, just not this year

THE long-promised repair of this favourite 96-year-old bridge is still set to happen but it won’t be this year. Here’s when Adelaide’s heritage swing bridge is likely to get its $500,000 facelift.

The heritage swing bridge at Gilberton.

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THE long-promised repair of a much-loved Adelaide heritage swing bridge is still set to happen but it won’t be this year.

The $500,000 refurbishment of the Gilberton Swing Bridge has been delayed until next year.

Walkerville Council, which is co-funding the works in a joint venture with Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council, confirmed last week work on bridge would not start until 2017.

The bridge holds many memories for many people. This picture, taken by Jack Haywurst in 1967, shows young friends at the Gilberton Swimming Pool in 1967, with the suspension bridge n the background.

The council blamed added damage to the bridge during September’s storms, which dumped close to 100mm of rain on Adelaide over a couple of days and led to floods across the city.

Restoration of the bridge, built 96 years ago, was announced in 2015 and predicted to start this year and take about 18 months to complete.

A Walkerville Council spokeswoman said the project’s cost would remain at $500,000 despite the damage because restoration work did not start before the storms hit.

Works on the bridge, which is 57m long and connects Player Court, St Peters, with Severn St, Gilberton, includes replacing the hardwood deck with a fibreboard composite, replacing bolts, nuts and screws and installing eight new wire ropes.

Swinging nuns ... the bridge was used in this 1987 shot to promote the theatre production "Nunsense".

Walkerville Mayor Ray Grigg and NP & SP Mayor Robert Bria said the councils wanted to see the bridge still being used daily 100 years from now, hence why the restoration was an important project.

“While we regret the inconvenience caused by closing the bridge to the public, a quick fix was never going to be a viable option,” the pair said in a joint statement sent to City North Messenger.

“The bridge needs to undergo substantial repair and refurbishment.

“Our foremost concern is people’s safety.”

The restoration work, despite being co-funded by Walkerville, will be managed entirely by NP & SP Council.