Walter Taylor Bridge set to reopen on Wednesday night after nearly two weeks of closure
South Brisbane residents will likely breathe a sigh of relief after it was announced the Walter Taylor Bridge would reopen tonight, Adrian Schrinner has confirmed.
Brisbane City
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The Walter Taylor Bridge is set to re-open at 7pm tonight, almost five days earlier than planned, following essential maintenance to the vital connector in Brisbane’s south.
After initial outrage from locals, many will likely breathe a sigh of relief at the news the bridge, which connects the southside suburb of Chelmer to Indooroopilly would once again open in time for the end of school holidays.
Council sent out flyers last month announcing that the bridge would fully close for up to 17 days, from 9pm Friday, September 12, until 5am on September 30.
As a result, residents faced a 16km detour along Oxley Rd, Cook St, Seventeen Mile Rocks Rd and the Centenary Mwy, coming off at the Moggill Rd exit to Indooroopilly roundabout.
Taking to social media on Wednesday morning, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the news saying maintenance was completed on the bridge.
“This is one of the key reasons these works were undertaken at the time and I want to thank the team who have been planning and working on this project, helping us complete works almost five days sooner than scheduled,” he said on an Instagram post.
“Thank you also to residents for their patience while these essential works were completed to ensure we keep Brisbane moving now and into the future.”
The bridge was able to open earlier than expected due to the “optimal weather conditions” and no unforeseen circumstances throughout the project.
The 105, 106 and 108 bus routes will resume their regular schedules from 5am Thursday morning, while the Great Circle Line, 598 and 599 will be back in operation from Monday September 30.
Civic Cabinet Chair for Infrastructure Councillor Andrew Wines said the September weather conditions proved the best time to complete the works, and thanked residents for their patience.
“These scheduled maintenance works to the heritage Walter Taylor Bridge needed to be done to ensure we keep Brisbane moving now and into the future,” Cr Wines said.
Walter Taylor Ward Councillor Penny Wolff said major work like what has just been done is rare but essential to ensure the bridge is able to be kept in use for residents.
“The Schrinner Council will continue its regular annual maintenance schedule of the 88-year-old bridge to keep (the) historical bridge in service for decades to come,” Cr Wolff said.
Brisbane City Council senior engineer Guy Connew said the work was able to be delivered to a high standard through the efforts of 50 Council employees who worked shifts around the clock for 12 days straight.
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