LANSDOWNE Bridge’s replacement started out as a $4 million project.
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Now it’s $13.5m. The blowout has perplexed Mayor Geoff Kettle but the Roads and Maritime Service said it was Council’s fault.
“The initial lower cost option presented in 2009 was not supported by Council”, an RMS spokesperson said.
“Consultation with Council indicated a strong preference for an alternate option and based on community feedback on design preferences, this resulted in a 40 per cent longer bridge, including realignment of the Forbes Street intersection, in order to meet appropriate road safety standards.”
That doesn’t wash with Cr Kettle.
“I believe it’s horrendously expensive given we built Oallen Ford Bridge, including approaches, for a lot less ($2.6m),” he said.
But he understood the revised cost also included the existing bridge’s demolition and aggregate removal.
The Mayor and general manager Warwick Bennett met with Roads Minister Duncan Gay’s office officials last week. They are trying to hasten work, currently held up by heritage investigations about the bridge construction’s impact on nearby historic Lansdowne estate.
“The Minister’s office was quite sympathetic and could see the need to just get on with it,” Cr Kettle said.
Environmental studies required by the Office of Environment and Heritage, which include heritage impacts, are due to be completed next month.
The council is also trying to convince RMS not to close the existing bridge for repairs, then re-open it, only to build a replacement.
“We said give us the money instead to use on remediation of the alternate routes, Forbes St and Brisbane Grove Rd, during the two-year bridge closure during construction,” Cr Kettle said.
“I think commonsense will prevail.”