A prominent Queenslander who helped restore Brisbane’s City Hall will now develop a roadmap to save the city’s iconic Story Bridge.
Nigel Chamier will map out the exact cost, timeframe and scope of works to give the structure, which was first built during the Great Depression, a new lease on life.
“Can you imagine Brisbane without its Story Bridge? I certainly cant and I think we have to preserve it at all cost,” he said.
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Chamier said the works may be complex but stressed he’s up for the challenge.
“It is more complex in many ways but at City Hall, I remember pulling out a ceiling and then finding another ceiling above it,” he said.
“So there will be some surprises.”
Securing funding to carry out the major steel and concrete works before it reaches its lifespan in 2040 will be an added challenge for the local council.
Council is currently pushing for the federal government to pay for a $4.5 million business case as well as money from all three levels of government.
“We’ll be bringing the premier, the prime minister on the journey with us to make sure that they’re aware of all the details,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
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Premier Steven Miles said he had not yet been approached about the plan.
The 1000 metre-long bridge will have staff working 80 metres above the river.
“Once we get inside some of these beams and they were designed for, I say, 1940 size people we are a little bit bigger than that nowadays, a little bit taller,” Brisbane City Council program and planning manager Glen Miney said.
“That’s a challenge we’ll have to look at.”
While parts of the future works will be able to be completed while the bridge stays open, there’ll inevitably be sections that’ll force its closure.
Exactly when and for how long the bridge will be closed remains unclear but it definitely won’t be happening during the 2032 Olympics.
“It’s an answer I don’t have now, there’s too many factors that are variable in there,” Miney said.
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