Time to replace the Sydney Harbour Bridge ?

[Ben Johnson]

The Harbour Bridge has a limited lifespan -- (apparently much shorter than I realised…).

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4806114.html

The author (with a financial interest in infrastructure projects) article raises interesting thoughts about the bridge's approaching end-of-life, options for a replacement, and that the bridge was built with planned deconstruction.  The article ends with a fitting reference to the haunting vision of Erasmus Darwin in Visit of Hope to Sydney Cove (1789) in that whatever replacement is built, that it might keep alive his original vision.

"There the proud arch, colossus-like, bestride

Yon glittering streams, and bound the chasing tide;"

(full text of poem here - http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/2001/darwin0101.html )

[Paul Rands]

Sydney faces the same issues as Brisbane does for water crossings.

I am not sure what contingencies would be required to upgrade the SHB but I am sure it won't be cheap.

Perhaps we could get some IKEA action going on and assemble a new span to replace the existing one. No doubt the parts would come from China. Lots of great bridges from there and all over Asia, so they have the experience in making a new span.

At the end of the day, the state government, needs to work harder on decentralising Sydney's workforce, and stop this cross-city traffic flow which has been choking the city since the 60s. It goes beyond wider roads and more rail lines. I suspect the only way to make the change is to force via legislation the relocation of offices and businesses to the suburbs, either when they are seeking a new location or by a cutoff date.

--
Paul Rands
paul...@gmail.com

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[davis]

 

Silly article. The bridge is perfectly serviceable and those "hidden rivets" aren't hidden per se, though for numerous you have to get inside the beams to access them. The bridge will just be refurbished. Rivets will be replaced. Some segments of steelwork will be replaced. It's just a larger version of what's been happening for about 25 years now whereby more work than just painting has to take place.

 

There are hundreds of major bridges around the world that are passing their 100th anniversary now. Dealing with this is not unique to Sydney.

 

And steel bridges may be easier to deal with than concrete: because there's so many individual pieces, refurbishment is more easily staged and potentially less disruptive (although at the same time probably more expensive).

[πbound88]

The rivets arent the main problem, its more the larger bits of bridgework which arent so easy to replace.

[Coonabaraman]

Here's an idea...give the Sydney Harbour Bridge an actual route number. It's completely ridiculous that arguably the most important and iconic road in the state doesn't have one.

[Hubert Lam]

With many S sets being scrapped off Sydney Trains' fleet, perhaps some of the scrap stainless steel could find a better home supporting the Bridge? :P :P

Sent from my Windows Phone

---

From: Coonabaraman
Sent: ‎25/‎07/‎2013 11:08 PM
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Time to replace the Sydney Harbour Bridge ?

[πbound88]

Its part of the A4 route

[Sam Laybutt]

No it's not

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Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:50:05 -0700
From: nbou...@gmail.com

To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Time to replace the Sydney Harbour Bridge ?

Its part of the A4 route

On Thursday, 25 July 2013 23:08:34 UTC+10, Coonabaraman wrote:

Here's an idea...give the Sydney Harbour Bridge an actual route number. It's completely ridiculous that arguably the most important and iconic road in the state doesn't have one.



On Saturday, July 20, 2013 8:43:42 PM UTC+10, πbound88 wrote:

The rivets arent the main problem, its more the larger bits of bridgework which arent so easy to replace.

On Saturday, 20 July 2013 16:47:11 UTC+10, davis wrote:

 

Silly article. The bridge is perfectly serviceable and those "hidden rivets" aren't hidden per se, though for numerous you have to get inside the beams to access them. The bridge will just be refurbished. Rivets will be replaced. Some segments of steelwork will be replaced. It's just a larger version of what's been happening for about 25 years now whereby more work than just painting has to take place.

 

There are hundreds of major bridges around the world that are passing their 100th anniversary now. Dealing with this is not unique to Sydney.

 

And steel bridges may be easier to deal with than concrete: because there's so many individual pieces, refurbishment is more easily staged and potentially less disruptive (although at the same time probably more expensive).

 

 

On Saturday, July 20, 2013 3:26:57 PM UTC+10, Paul0075r wrote:

Sydney faces the same issues as Brisbane does for water crossings.

I am not sure what contingencies would be required to upgrade the SHB but I am sure it won't be cheap.

Perhaps we could get some IKEA action going on and assemble a new span to replace the existing one. No doubt the parts would come from China. Lots of great bridges from there and all over Asia, so they have the experience in making a new span.

At the end of the day, the state government, needs to work harder on decentralising Sydney's workforce, and stop this cross-city traffic flow which has been choking the city since the 60s. It goes beyond wider roads and more rail lines. I suspect the only way to make the change is to force via legislation the relocation of offices and businesses to the suburbs, either when they are seeking a new location or by a cutoff date.

--
Paul Rands
paul...@gmail.com

On Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Ben Johnson <tanga...@gmail.com> wrote:

The Harbour Bridge has a limited lifespan -- (apparently much shorter than I realised.).

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4806114.html

The author (with a financial interest in infrastructure projects) article raises interesting thoughts about the bridge's approaching end-of-life, options for a replacement, and that the bridge was built with planned deconstruction.  The article ends with a fitting reference to the haunting vision of Erasmus Darwin in Visit of Hope to Sydney Cove (1789) in that whatever replacement is built, that it might keep alive his original vision.

"There the proud arch, colossus-like, bestride

Yon glittering streams, and bound the chasing tide;"

(full text of poem here - http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/2001/darwin0101.html )

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[πbound88]

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/documents/sydney.pdf
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/images/maps/map_2_sydney_phases.pdf

[Paul Rands]

Hi Guys,

I was in Newcastle this morning and grabbed a few alphas.

I also got pix this morning from the Buladelah, Port Macquarie and Kempsey upgrades of Pacific Hwy.

A few nice alphas that haven't appeared on the list for Pacific Hwy.

Alpha route photos:

B53

B57

B89

B68

A43

A1

B56

Buladelah Bypass northbound carriageway as being asphalted this morning, over freshly painted road markings. So this would explain why it's not been opened to traffic yet. Obviously there's some kind of surface issue.

A few pix attached. There will be more, I am just knackered and can't stay awake long enough to edit more.

--
Paul Rands
paul...@gmail.com

[Ben Johnson]

On 26/07/2013, at 11:09 PM, Paul Rands <paul...@gmail.com> wrote:

> A few pix attached. There will be more, I am just knackered and can't stay awake long enough to edit more.

Not good enough. I wanna see now… WAKE UP!!! :-) seriously… great pix. And lovin that B89 "Bottom Knot" LOL

Ben

[Paul Rands]

LOL ta. Sadly I got a new chip in the windscreen which is visible in some of the photos.

--
Paul Rands
paul...@gmail.com

[Sam Laybutt]

GIS data provided to mapmakers by RMS shows A4 ending in Darling Harbour. As in previous discrepencies, RMS have advised that the GIS data is correct. 

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Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 01:40:30 -0700

From: nbou...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Time to replace the Sydney Harbour Bridge ?

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/documents/sydney.pdf
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/images/maps/map_2_sydney_phases.pdf

[Sam Laybutt]

Looking good, thanks mate. I like the black AD sign with the alpha coverplate. 

How is B89 looking generally? As this route was a late inclusion I expect lots of topknots on signs that weren't alpha-ready.

Did you see if the ID sign at George Booth Dr/Richmond Vale Rd had been replaced? Also the westbound AD sign on B89 about 1.5km before Richmond Vale Rd? Both these were missing in January...

---

From: paul...@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 23:09:16 +1000

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Time to replace the Sydney Harbour Bridge ?

To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[πbound88]

Is the GIS data publically available at all?

[Sam Laybutt]

Not sure, can't hurt to ask though

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Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 08:08:18 -0700