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Beam me up Scottie!

The steel beams on Taylors Road Bridge over Traralgon Creek at Koornalla were raised to new heights recently when they were removed for treatment as part of the bridge’s rehabilitation works.

By City of Latrobe - 18th March 2005 - Back to News

Plans to demolish the Taylors Road Bridge were thwarted early in February when floodwaters associated with the storms washed away a temporary side track built as an alternative route to the bridge. The washaway isolated residents for several hours.

Decking on the bridge was hurriedly reinstated at the time to overcome the residents’ isolation, but all the decking and the steel beams supporting it have now been removed.

Latrobe City’s Infrastructure Maintenance Manager, Richard Brammall said that the existing timber bridge had been designed for 30 ton trucks whereas bridges today are designed for 44 tonne semi trailers.

"The existing timber deck on Taylors Road Bridge was in poor condition and required replacement, but there was little sense in just replacing timber decking if the specifications result in the bridge remaining unsuitable for today’s traffic," Mr Brammall said.

"Instead, the bridge has been redesigned and strengthened using a method termed ‘composite design’ where a cast insitu reinforced concrete bridge deck is used to strengthen the UB steel beams.

"The steel beams themselves required preparing through abrasive blasting and painting with a zinc-in-silicate primer for the long life of service expected of them. However, this cannot be done appropriately on site, as the creek environment would be placed at risk. Consequently, the beams have been removed for treatment in a properly set up painter’s workshop," Mr Brammall said.

Mr Brammall said that the existing timber bridge barriers will also be replaced with a steel barrier railing, and a steel beam guard fence is being installed on the bridge approaches.

"The side track that was washed away was reconstructed downstream of the bridge to provide access for residents in Taylors Road, Browns Road and Settlers Road on the west side of Traralgon Creek," Mr Brammall explained.

"As the intensity of the rainfall that caused the washaway in February was a highly unusual event for the time of year, we would anticipate Taylors Road Bridge being well and truly back in service before another rainfall event of that magnitude occurs," Mr Brammall added.

Taylors Road Bridge is scheduled for reopening in May 2005. Work is being undertaken by the City’s contractor Hourigan & Walsh Pty Ltd. The cost of the works is $220,000 and is being funded from the Federal Government’s Roads to Recovery Program.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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