“You know we can’t do this on our own.”
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Footpaths on the bridge have been closed since ex-tropical cyclone Alfred – about 10 weeks ago – with the council remaining tight-lipped on the cause of damage.
Schrinner told ABC Radio Brisbane they were “item number one” on the council’s to-do list.
He said Alfred had not caused the closures, but routine inspections about that time had deemed the paths unsafe.
“The further work that we did following the cyclone showed significant … cracking in the footpaths and concrete cancer, and that comes from water getting in,” Schrinner said, adding steel support beams in the concrete were rusting.
“[The path] is actually 10 centimetres thick, including 7.5cm of concrete deck and 2.5cm of asphalt overlay… and some of those panels are 85 years old, dating back to the original.”
The Story Bridge footpaths on the day they closed in March.Credit: William Davis
Council Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy criticised the council for “neglect” of the bridge.
“If the cyclone never caused the footpath closure and further assessments, would Adrian Schrinner have known just how bad it is?” Cassidy said.
“The LNP blew the budget on the Kangaroo Point pedestrian bridge by $100 million and left the Story Bridge to rot.”
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“Brisbane residents should be outraged.”
Schrinner said the council had a contract for fixing the footpaths under way, with works to begin “in a matter of weeks”.
“We want to get at least one side of the bridge reopened this year, but it’s a significant job because ultimately, those concrete panels will need to be all replaced,” he said.
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