Help re-open the Holland Street bridge for cyclists and pedestrians
This bridge, closed to cars for as long as I can remember, provided an important north/south link over the Torrens between South and Port Rds. It was closed in a hurry last year (abruptly and without alternatives), due to deteriorating concrete and reinforcing. It is heritage listed and evidently can be economically repaired. Funds have been allocated for this, but not spent due to lack of political will, so those funds have been returned to 'consolidated revenue'. We need to get them re-allocated and let the councils concerned know that we want our bridge back asap.
Sign this petition and help me lean on Charles Sturt and West Torrens!
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-cities-of-charles-sturt-and-wes...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on -
I know the bridge this is the one just downstream from the brewery.
It cant be economically repaired.
Does this mean it would be cheaper to replace it?
With the the linear park and Armstrong path nearby can a good case be made for this?
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Permalink Reply by Paul Anderson on -
Hi Don, as far as I understand, initial advice to both Councils was that the bridge was not able to be repaired economically, however I have been informed that subsequent advice has been that it can. The too-ing and fro-ing on this point might go some way to explaining Councils' inaction so far....
As to the Livestrong path and bridge, they are no substitute as they do not link the areas concerned.(The bridge is to carry electricity cables, provision for cyclists is an afterthought) The 'Livestrong' bridge was/is not needed by cyclists, there being plenty of alternatives, whereas the Holland St bridge was/is - it connects Hindmarsh and the Uni precinct, and is the only crossing between Port and South Rds.
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Permalink Reply by Visitant on -
I agree totally with your comments, and have previously contacted the West Torrens Council about this issue. It seems that that it has been put into the 'too hard' basket by both the West Torrens and Charles Sturt Councils, who share responsibility for this bridge. When the issue was last brought before WT council, the outcome wasn't positive.
The bridge has now been closed since August 2010, and now, apart from not being used, it's plastered with ugly amateur signage promoting local gigs. What annoys me most is that there has been no alternative route offered; there's simply a closed until further notice sign on each side (although the bikedirect signs are still there!) For a heavily used pedestrian and cycle route, this isn't good enough.
I've signed the petition for what it's worth, but the best avenues are to contact West Torrens and Charles Sturt councils, and your local state MP.
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Permalink Reply by Lorraine C on -
Just added my name to the petition
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
I have previously contacted both councils. Time to do so again.
On AC forum are web pages for Charles Sturt BUG and West Torrens BUG (although few members). Paul, you need to add there a link to this post.
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Permalink Reply by Roger ... on -
Sharing some trivia and an urban myth
Just down stream from this bridge on the Northern side a bidon filling tap was decorated and opened by a ragamuffin group of Adelaide's enthusiast cyclists about 2 years ago. Amongst them on the day, were acted characters of (ex) Adelaide cyclists, Don Dunstan, Mary MacKillop, Douglas Mawson, and Colonel William Light. An official SA Museum curator came along and loaned a few artefacts to improve the realism of their presence.
Anyway in speaking to the curator it was revealed that Colonel Light lived near the Holland St bridge. His humble house was on the bank of the Torrens River on the Southern side. It was supposedly demolished in a by gone era to make way for a carpark in the brewery. It should be noted, Light chose to live where he did at free will, he could have lived anywhere but he chose the bank of the river in Thebarton.
I worked in Albert St (opposite Wheatsheaf Hotel) in the 80's when cars and trucks used the bridge and late when only cars still had access to Holland St. I used the bridge every day. Trucks were denied access because Council said it was new policy to make Holland St more residential.
In the 90's and 2000's I moved closer to the bridge and worked in Holland St (just south of the Uni) and having returned to cycling rode my bike past Light's chosen ground and over the bridge regularly to visit the bank and clear my post box at Hindmarsh.
There are a number of small sheds in Holland St. These are pump houses for the springs that are exploited by the brewery. Millions of litres of spring water are taken at next to no cost. Over many years it appears to me the brewery has taken ownership of much of the North East corner of Thebarton by just closing several "unsafe" streets to public access ... (for the good of all concerned") It is my long-held opinion the bridge presents a problem for the Brewery growth. There is no testing in progress and never will be. The bridge is safe for bikes and pedestrians and has been closed to get locals to get used to not having it so ... (just like Light's house) it can be quietly and uneventfully demolished forever without a public argument.
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Permalink Reply by David Southern on -
This bridge is another example of a poorly-constructed State government asset foisted upon local Councils. It was one of two erected to carry the (MTT) Grange Rd trams across the river in 1909. They did not have adequate footing depth for the support columns, and the Cawthorne St bridge had severe erosion problems during a flood a few years after it was built, and was subsequently closed to all traffic, and demolished in the 1970's. As the tecniques of reinforced concrete were in their infancy when the bridges were erected, the thickness of concrete over the reinforcing was insufficient to prevent air and moisture access to the steel, which, in rusting, has expanded and caused the concrete to spall off ("concrete cancer"). This problem has been noted in several early reinforced concrete structures, such as the Holland St bridge, the (now demolished) Bakewell Bridge, and The New Alexander Bridge (rail bridge at Victor Harbor). There is no quick-fix solution.
That said, the bridge is/was an important link for cyclists to Grange Rd, and should be either repaired or replaced. This should really be at State Govt. expense, because of the inadequate original construction, just like the King St bridge in Glenelg.
(Before the bridge was closed to motor traffic, it was also a convenient access route for cars to avoid the Hindmarsh roundabout.)
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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At one stage I was a member of an excellent local council library on South Road. I would cycle from Prospect, over the bridge, and along the streets that are parallel to Port Road and South Road. Some intersections were closed to vehicles but thoughtfully bicycle by-passes in the closures, so gave cyclists a safe route for 2 km. The good road design is another reason why a cyclist bridge is required here.
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on
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Certainly it appears that there is reasonable demand for non motorized traffic to cross there.
If cost was an issue would a lower level bridge be acceptable?
This would reassure local residents that it would not become an alternative thoroughfare for cars and trucks but still allow access.
Would people looking for free parking when the entertainment center is in use also be an issue for local residents?
For a repair to be economic some sort of cost /benifit analisis should be done.
If the benefits are underestimated something becomes uneconomic at a lower price.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Good point about cost benefit. However, cycling advocates do not have access to govt data or this type of data to do an analysis to be persuasive. At the Asia-Pacific Cycling Congress in Sep-2011, discussed need for cost benefit analysis to use govt speak.
Can someone describe the width and construction of the bridge? Recall it is narrow. Does AC have an expert who can suggest a cheaper alternative that would suit cyclists and pedestrians, and do a guestimate of the cost?
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Permalink Reply by Visitant on
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There aren't really any local residents within about 500m of the bridge on either side. Holland St is a commercial street for most of its length. In fact, I've used some of the businesses along Holland St (mostly wholesale food businesses who also sell to the public). I don't any more of course, because I've been forced to use alternative routes due to the bridge closure.
A guy at work who attended an event at the entertainment centre recently parked on the Holland St side, and scaled the fences on the bridge to get to the centre! I was doing that with my bike until they installed more permanent fencing. See these pics - the bridge is an eyesore. Note that the Bikedirect sign is still there - obviously there's no communication between the councils and SA government. Hardly a surprise!
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on
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Equally if the minimum cost is inflated because the price is for a grand bridge rater than a modest bridge will make the exercise uneconomic because the cost estimate is much higher.
Along the linear park there are a large number of low level bridges that would be a fraction the cost of a bridge that is similar to what presently is there while this may flood occasionally is having a bridge that is usable for 360+ days a year better than no bridge at all?
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