Article: Patience runs out on blocked Riverside walk

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Patience runs out on blocked Riverside walk

Patience runs out on blocked Riverside walk

Tony Moore
May 8, 2009 - 5:12AM

Brisbane residents are losing patience with authorities because Brisbane's main riverside walk is still blocked nine months after being closed.

At this stage, it may re-open in mid-July although you will be hard pressed to find evidence of work underway, because it is happening beneath the boardwalk.

Other repairs to gardens, and damaged walkway will not be finished until September.

The Cityreach Boardwalk around Admiralty Quays has been closed since August 2008.

Gardens with shabby shrubs in front of the riverside section along Emirates House appear to be partially destroyed and are fenced off, while a large section near the Riverside CityCat stop is also still fenced off.

The Riverside walkway was closed after structural tests showed it could not support heavy weights.

Routine engineering tests completed in May 2008 showed the large concrete slabs on the section in front of Admiralty Quays were faulty.

In August 2008 Queensland's then-Transport Minister John Mickel, closed a 160-metre stretch of walkway in front of Admiralty Quays believing it could not support the large crowd during the 2008 River Fire.

New Farm resident Annalisa Todel yesterday said she was "absolutely exasperated" the walkway was still closed.

She said she and her children walk into town three to four times a week, while her husband now has to cycle through traffic to get to work.

"The sign said it was going to re-open in December and now it is May and there is still no explanation," Ms Todel said.

"It is very, very frustrating."

Earlier this year engineers from the Port of Brisbane completed load testing on the walkway and suggested a temporary structure needed to be built.

That plan has now been scrapped.

Strengthening work is underway, but difficult to observe, the Port of Brisbane Authority said.

"The whole deck is being strengthened by additional supporting beams under the deck, which will not alter the look of the above-water section of the boardwalk," a spokesperson said.

The work is being carried out by Smithbridge Australia Pty Ltd, including the application of anti-corrosion coatings, replacement of bolts and lateral bracing of the steel beams.

Work on other repairs will be finished in September, they said.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the government had agreed to fund the work, rather than wait for the outcome of legal action involving apartment tower, Admiralty Quays.

A spokeswoman said the work could not wait until legal action was resolved.

"The State Government issued Admiralty Quays with a directive to begin repairing the affected area some time ago," the spokeswoman said.

"The State Government was not willing to watch this public inconvenience go on, so we have acted.  It is the Minister's expectation that Admiralty Quays will pay for  the repairs."

The boardwalk was built about 11 years ago and it is understood Admiralty Quays agreed to maintain it.

[ButFli]

There is a question that needs to be asked about this board walk fiasco. Why hasn't anyone used the "bored walk" pun? It must be a very boring section of walk, if you know what I mean.

I observed a bunch of young louts jumping the fence to walk along the the closed secton of bored walk last weekend. (pun intended)