‘Last resort’: Council threatens toll to pay for Story Bridge repairs

A toll or levy for motorists using Story Bridge has been threatened as Brisbane City Council prepares to make another bid for state and federal funding to complete “significant” restoration work.

An independent report commissioned by the council found the 85-year-old structure required a 15-year period of continued work.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner told 4BC’s Peter Fegan a toll or levy was a “100 per cent no from council”, but repair costs exceeded the budget.

Workers maintain the Story Bridge in Brisbane.Credit: Brisbane City Council

He said that without government help, the council could be forced to consider options, including an annual rates levy, a toll, or private sponsorship to fund the restoration.

“We’ve already completed a portion of the restoration work, but every bit of work we did discovered more corrosion and more damage to the bridge,” Schrinner said.

“There are maintenance workers on the bridge every day … but what we’re doing now is switching from maintenance to restoration.”

Schrinner said it was only fair that the state and federal governments chipped in as their budgets exceeded the council’s.

“If you look at where the money goes and where it comes from … people pay their car rego to the state government,” he said. “Not a cent of that comes to the Brisbane City Council – not a cent of that goes to the Story Bridge.

“You know we can’t do this on our own.”

Footpaths on the bridge have been closed since ex-tropical cyclone Alfred about 10 weeks ago, and Schrinner told ABC Radio Brisbane they were “item number one” on the council’s to-do list.

He said Alfred had not caused the closures, but routine inspections around that time deemed the paths unsafe.

Adrian Schrinner (centre left) presented findings from a report carried out by the Story Bridge Restoration Committee, which included Peter Burnton (left), Graham McHugh (right), and chair Nigel Chamier (centre right).Credit: Brittney Deguara

“The further work that we did following the cyclone showed significant … cracking in the footpaths and concrete cancer, and that comes from water getting in,” Schrinner said, adding steel support beams in the concrete were rusting.

“[The path] is actually 10 centimetres thick, including 7.5 centimetres of concrete deck and 2.5 centimetres of asphalt overlay … and some of those panels are 85 years old, dating back to the original.”

Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy criticised the council for “neglect” of the bridge.

The Story Bridge footpaths on the day they closed in March.Credit: William Davis

“If the cyclone never caused the footpath closure and further assessments, would Adrian Schrinner have known just how bad it is?” Cassidy said.

“The LNP blew the budget on the Kangaroo Point pedestrian bridge by $100 million and left the Story Bridge to rot. Brisbane residents should be outraged.”

Schrinner said a contract for repairing the footpaths was under way, with work to begin “in a matter of weeks”.

“We want to get at least one side of the bridge reopened this year, but it’s a significant job because ultimately, those concrete panels will need to be all replaced,” he said.

Active transport user group Brisbane CBD BUG co-convener Mary Doolan said the footpath closure had already forced some cyclists into cars to travel the route.

She said the detour route – which takes travellers through the city and across the Kangaroo Point Bridge – was “a joke”.

“I guess it’s the difference between the detours that are provided for motor vehicle drivers, which might take people a couple of minutes out of their way ... versus people [on active transport] who are having materially huge impacts on their time frames,” she said.

Doolan said reconstruction work could blow past the projected end-of-year deadline, and an on-time opening would still see the route closed for nine months.

“You wouldn’t have a road closed that long ... just imagine if they actually closed the whole Story Bridge for that period of time to cars,” she said.

“Would that be seen as acceptable? I don’t think so.”

Story Bridge Restoration Committee chair Nigel Chamier said their report found restoration of the entire structure could be completed in time for the bridge’s centenary in 2040, with a total price tag easily reaching into the hundreds of millions.

“Lots of numbers have been tossed around, [but] we know that replacing the bridge is not an option,” Chamier said.

“Giving the Story Bridge a funeral for its 100th birthday is not acceptable.”

Queensland Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the state had not considered funding yet.

“Ultimately, the Story Bridge is a council asset, and council is responsible for maintaining it,” he said.

“I suspect that within the next seven years, as we’re doing the roads, rail and Metro across south-east Queensland and across Queensland … those discussions will take place.”

Schrinner said he spoke to Premier David Crisafulli on Monday and was confident the council would see a good outcome.

During the federal election campaign, the Albanese Labor government pledged $2.25 million towards work to scope the bridge’s restoration.

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