By Juliano Oliveira
The Captain Cook Bridge will undergo maintenance on Friday 19 March, which might generate road and river traffic impacts.
The bridge lies at the South Brisbane Reach of the river, connecting Gardens Point to the Brisbane CBD. The bridge carries about 150 000 vehicles per day.
A suspended temporary working platform will be located under the bridge. These platforms have been specially designed to provide workers with safe access to the bridge.
High clearance vessels will have restricted access from 2 pm, with access closed to all ships and river users from 8 pm to 7 am.
Transport and Main Roads’ Metropolitan Regional Director Patrick Dennehy said traffic control measures, including signs, would be in place during the operation and requested motorists to allow extra time for travel.
“There will be road and river traffic impacts while we undertake this work, and we thank the travelling public and local community for their patience,” he said.
The platform is 33 metres long and six metres wide, weighing 27 tonnes and moving it will require coordination from both on top of the bridge and from the Brisbane River.
“Throughout the project and while the platform is in place, there will be reduced heights for river users when travelling under the Captain Cook Bridge, and vessel operators are asked to show caution,” Mr Dennehy said.
Cranes positioned on top of the bridge on the outer lanes will lower the platform to a waiting barge and will manoeuvre the platform to its new position under the bridge overnight.
Once the barge and platform are in place, a crane will lift the platform while crews work to secure it to the bridge’s structure.
Maintenance works are expected to be complete later this year.