BRIDGE LIMITS A LOAD TO BEAR
The impact of failing bridge infrastructure across the state is starting to bite as more and more shire councils recognise engineering and load problems with aging wooden bridges.
Bridges up to 70 years old and with inadequate maintenance programs have resulted in several accidents across the state, while shire councils are agitating for significant funding increases in order to considerably ramp up replacement and rehabilitation works.
Bridges have collapsed or caused potentially serious accidents in the Shire of Northern Grampians and problems in the Strathbogie Shire have recently been documented in Quarry magazine.
CMPA member Stephen Richards of Richards’ Quarries & Concrete, Swift’s Creek, recently highlighted bridge problems that have developed in the East Gippsland Shire.
Mr Richards was forced to seek alternate routes for cartage due to the imposition of 10 tonne load limits imposed by the Shire in response to the deteriorating condition of bridge assets.
Mr Richards was further required to apply for a permit from the Shire allowing him to cross the Swifts Creek – Omeo Road bridge “at his own risk”. This was essentially a waiver of council’s liabilities should the bridge collapse. Delivering both concrete and packing sand to a client Mr Richard’s standard concrete agitator and semi tipper weighed 20.4 and 22.5 tonnes respectively.
A recent article in the Bairnsdale Enquirer detailed bridge load limit problems facing the East Gippsland shire and highlights the problem facing many other shire councils.
“Last year the shire spent $567,669 on bridge maintenance, with almost 90% of this expenditure on timber bridges. Mayor, Cr Peter Bommer, confirmed ‘council has 244 bridges and 144 are made of timber’,”, the newspaper reported.
“To highlight the problem, council is joining with 17 other shires to make a joint submission to the Victorian Grants Commission to increase funding for bridges. Currently, the funding from the Victorian Grants Commission is approximately $5.00 per square metre, which would equate to $65,000 for East Gippsland. This is a long way short of the $567,669 spent last year on timber bridges alone,” Cr Bommer said.”
The Strathbogie Shire Council reviewed structural load limit of timber bridges and downgrade load limits on 50 of the 128 bridges in order “to reduce the rate of deterioration of Council’s bridge inventory”.
According to a media release from the Liberal party, the Delatite shire currently has 65 of 130 bridges needing repair with one bridge having collapsed altogether.
The CMPA is urging the state government to pay significant attention to this issue as it has significant impact on the transport operations of extractive industries across the state and is currently adding to costs in material cartage as well as causing significant time delays.
If any member has had any direct problems with bridge load limits they are urged to contact both the CMPA and their local member.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login