Whopping cost of maintaining the Sydney Harbour Bridge

It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, so rightly needs a specialised team to make sure it’s looking its best. See just what it takes to keep the Sydney Harbour Bridge pristine and picture perfect.

When thousands of people come to see you every day, you need a special team to make sure you are always looking your best.

And with one eye on the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s centenary celebrations, no expense is being spared, with the landmark’s annual maintenance budget recently boosted by $10 million.

A whopping $40 million is now set aside to maintain the bridge, which more than 160,000 road users and 480 trains cross each day.

But the 1932 landmark is more than just an ageing structure, doubling as a symbol of Sydney and the main attraction during the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks.

That’s why it sometimes needs a spruce up, which usually requires more than just a dab of the famous “Harbour Bridge grey”.

Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during 2025 New Years celebrations in Sydney.

Mirko Cerovac, who has been painting the bridge for more than three decades, said the maintenance crew sometimes used 300 litres of paint in a single day.

The 75-year-old painter, who found the job advertised in The Daily Telegraph, has since recruited sons Joe and Goran to the team.

Mirko Cerovac has been a painter on The Sydney Harbour Bridge for 32 years and his sons Joe and Goran also work on the bridge. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The trio now has a combined total of more than 70 years on the job.

“We take so much pride and to work here is an honour and a privilege,” Joe said.

The family have a combined total of over 70 years on the bridge. Picture: Rohan Kelly

There are no days off in the maintenance game, with the combination of salt, air, and 520,000sq m of steel always keeping the crew busy.

“We’ve got to inspect the steel and condition of the steel daily, and then we’ll tend to those from the worst conditions and paint as accordingly as required,” Joe said.

“It takes preparation, sandblasting back to bare steel, and then applying four coats of paint.”

Not many like the sight of rust but it’s a welcome one for the father-son trio.

“The salt, air and the steel aren’t friends, (but) rust is our best friend,” Goran said.

A painting blitz will be launched on the Harbour Bridge to spruce up the Sydney icon in time for its 100th birthday.

The light show on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for its 90th Birthday. Picture: Damian Shaw

The lateral beams of The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Picture: Rohan Kelly

With preparations already under way for the bridge’s 100th birthday, new safety platforms have been designed to allow workers to work on the lateral beams, which hang over eight lanes of traffic and have not been touched in some time.

“I’ve been here for 24 years, never painted those areas, and being part of that team to have that opportunity to tackle those areas is so exciting,” Joe said.

Originally published as Whopping cost of maintaining the Sydney Harbour Bridge