The northern end of Sea Cliff Bridge has become a multimillion-dollar problem.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The $49 million bridge was opened in 2005 and since then more than 10 per cent of the bridge’s price tag has been spent on stabilising what is called the ‘‘northern amphitheatre’’.
This is the section where the bridge rejoins the coast at the northern end and has been the site of numerous landslips since 2006, when it dropped eight centimetres.
In 2008 it dropped a further two metres. In July 2011 there was a storm event that caused a further 1.5-metre movement and a new slip area.
In 2012 it moved around two metres.
In 2011 Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) decided to install monitoring equipment to help come up with solutions.
A year later a spokesman for Roads Minister Duncan Gay said a long-term option for the embankment was expected to cost as much as $10 million.
Of that, an RMS spokesman said $5.8 million had been allocated.
This includes $700,000 worth of stabilisation work in 2012 and the recent announcement of a $3 million project which will see rocks from local quarries placed along the embankment.
The RMS spokesman could not rule out the possibility of further stabilisation work being needed in the future.
‘‘The work being carried out will provide improved access to the sea level rock platform to help with future maintenance of the bridge piers.’’
Calling the bridge ‘‘one of the state’s most iconic assets’’, the spokesman said it remained safe for the 4200 motorists who used it each day.
The spokesman also addressed claims that problems with the embankment could have been avoided if the bridge had been extended during the construction and rejoined the coast further north.
‘‘The design and length of the Sea Cliff Bridge was carefully considered taking into account various factors including the unique landscape of the area,’’ the spokesman said.