Bakewell Bridge in Adelaide's West to be rebuilt
On 28 March 2004 Premier Mike Rann and Transport Minister Trish White announced a major $30 million re-build of the accident-prone Bakewell Bridge that links the western suburbs to the city centre.
The Member for West Torrens Tom Koutsantonis who has been campaigning for a new bridge is delighted.
Mr Rann says the bridge is 76 years old and well past its use-by date.
“It has structural problems that require constant maintenance and monitoring.
“It has been the scene of too many traffic accidents - some of them fatal - over the past decade.
“Every time there is a car accident on the bridge or a train collides with its pylons, it can be closed for days or even weeks which causes traffic mayhem for residents of the west.
“I’ve heard horror stories of how it is so badly designed for new modern transports that some trucks have scraped their back ends as they leave the bridge.
“The bridges is not only part of a key connector road, it also crosses over our main rail corridor for commuter trains as well as the Ghan and Indian Pacific.
Bridge Option
“Given the increase in volume of traffic both above and below the bridge, we would have been negligent as a Government not to have heeded the warnings of Tom Koustantonis and others.
“As the local Member of Parliament, Tom has been badgering me for years to do something about it. He has made a very strong case that cannot be ignored.
Ms White says Cabinet last week agreed to its redevelopment with a $30 million budget allocation to find the best design and to get it re-built.
“At present, there are two designs on the table. One is an underpass and the other is a replacement of the existing bridge.
Underpass Option
“Which design wins will depend on community and industry consultation, which will begin immediately.
“Transport SA is now undertaking modelling to determine how best to manage the traffic around the works. However, the final result will be a much deserved new piece of infrastructure that will make driving to and from Henley Beach Road much safer,â€
[COM] Bakewell Underpass | $30m
[COM] Bakewell Underpass | $30m
[COM] #COMPLETED - Bakewell Underpass Project
Anyone know about the 80-years-old Bakewell Bridge that is going to be closed and soon to be replaced with an underpass?
For your information Bakewell Bridge is located at Glover Avenue rd, across Adelaide Motors and beside Adelaide High, that bridged to Henley Beach Rd Mile End.
Here is how the plan is going to be like.
So there you go, those are the detour and rats route when the bridge is set to close sometime next month, well, was supposed to divert the traffic and start closing the bridge by this time of the month! However, due to several discussions and meetings with the surrounding business it has to be prosponded. So I guess the work of demolishing the bridge will probably start in few weeks time.
More information here
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/transpor ... /index.asp
Last edited by Edgar on Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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It has been almost the end of the July and nothing has been done to the bridge yet. According to the project's plan book, the bridge should have been closed by now and demolished by next month.
However I can see a lot of project engineers doing measurements all around the area everyday.
However I can see a lot of project engineers doing measurements all around the area everyday.
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They drilled holes for soil testing no doubt, recently. I’m pretty sure work is to start at the end of August. It’s a shame this type of bridge used to be all over Adelaide and now there will be no examples left of the design.
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Are you talking about the bridge currently on site?Tom wrote:They drilled holes for soil testing no doubt, recently. I’m pretty sure work is to start at the end of August. It’s a shame this type of bridge used to be all over Adelaide and now there will be no examples left of the design.
[COM]
No just its design, it used to be a standard design around adelaide for bridges that had trams going over them.Will wrote:Are you talking about the bridge currently on site?Tom wrote:They drilled holes for soil testing no doubt, recently. I’m pretty sure work is to start at the end of August. It’s a shame this type of bridge used to be all over Adelaide and now there will be no examples left of the design.
[COM]
Love sensational headlines... but the article suggests that pathway too narrow ... must be really slow news day at the advertiser.
Bridge design flawed, says community
ANNA VLACH
COMMUNITY groups are demanding the State Government revise its design for the Bakewell Bridge upgrade to provide more access for pedestrians, cyclists and the disabled.
They say the decision to have only one shared pathway for pedestrians and wheelchairs on the southern side is a "fundamental flaw" and more detail is wanted on final plans from the Government .
The Thebarton Residents Association is part of a coalition of community groups lobbying the Government to see a complete proposal for the new underpass on the site of the 80-year-old bridge.
Spokesman Peter Anastassiadis has questioned why a detailed plan, rather than an artist's impression, has not been made available to the public.
"If their consultants have got it right, what have they got to hide," Mr Anastassiadis said.
"It is like a one-way road. They haven't provided for pedestrians and people with disabilities in the same way they have for vehicles.
"The project was intended to provide better access for all."
In May, Transport Minister Patrick Conlon announced the project's $30 million budget had blown out to $41 million.
Office of Major Projects and Infrastructure executive director Rod Hook said a shared pathway on the northern side would add $4 million to project costs.
The community group coalition is holding a public meeting at the Romanian Baptist Church, Mile End, on at 7.30pm on August 22.
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I can see the reason why they are going to replace the bridge. Every now and then, they have to constantly repair the bridge from cracks and damaged road surface on the bridge. In another few weeks time, it will crack again and one of my Civil Engineering mate told me that every bridge has a lifespan, when it reaches its lifespan the cost of maintainence will be very high.
The lower structure foundation of the bridge is a real ugly sight, too many poles
The lower structure foundation of the bridge is a real ugly sight, too many poles
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Bakewell Bridge will close to traffic on 15 October (or there abouts).
Roadworks on East Terrace will be completed by then and new traffic signals installed at the intersection of HB Road and East Tce.
There will be a slip lane for each direction (next to Temple College) so traffic can still use HB Road from East Tce.
Finally, we are not going from 3 lanes to 1 when coming off Port Road to East Tce. Yippee!!!
Roadworks on East Terrace will be completed by then and new traffic signals installed at the intersection of HB Road and East Tce.
There will be a slip lane for each direction (next to Temple College) so traffic can still use HB Road from East Tce.
Finally, we are not going from 3 lanes to 1 when coming off Port Road to East Tce. Yippee!!!
[COM]
CONSTRUCTION work on the $41 million Bakewell underpass will begin on Sunday, October 15, the State Government has announced.
Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the new underpass would provide two lanes of traffic in each direction and a wide shared footpath.
Henley Beach Rd – west of the bridge – will remain open during the construction period, but Glover Ave will be closed.
Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the new underpass would provide two lanes of traffic in each direction and a wide shared footpath.
Henley Beach Rd – west of the bridge – will remain open during the construction period, but Glover Ave will be closed.
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