AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2011
NSW:Harbour Bridge to get $3.5m spruce up
SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Motorists wanting to cross Sydney's Harbour Bridge in January
should brace themselves for lengthy delays as the world famous structure gets spruced
up for its birthday.
The bridge will be closed for up to three weekends as part of a $3.5 million resurfacing
and waterproofing project in time for its 80th anniversary in March.
The road and its approaches will be stripped back to their original concrete deck and
replaced with a new waterproof membrane and asphalt.
"This is the biggest impact on this corridor - probably since the Olympics," Mike Veysey,
NSW Roads and Maritime Services' director of network services, told reporters in Sydney
on Monday.
"It's the first time it has been done in the history of the bridge and it's the first
time it's been closed for this extensive amount of time."
Mr Veysey said while the bridge has lasted "extraordinarily well" for the last 80 years,
its constant reworking has caused more water to leak through the road and damaged the
paint and steel structure below.
"This (work) is absolutely essential to protect the bridge into the future, it's the
right time to do it," he said.
"When we've finished we'll have new asphalt, new waterproof membrane, new line-marking
and the bridge will probably look pretty good in time for its 80th anniversary."
Motorists are being encouraged to avoid driving into the city on the affected weekends
and use public transport instead.
Bus and rail services will continue to operate across the harbour, while clearway arrangements
have been made for alternative routes including King Georges Road.
The bridge will be closed on the weekends of January 13-16, January 20-23 and possibly
January 27-30, from 10pm Friday to 5am Monday.
The bridge was officially opened by the then NSW Premier Jack Lang on March 19, 1932.
AAP ra/jjs/afr
KEYWORD: BRIDGE
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