The iconic lifting span of the old Bridgewater Bridge was successfully removed overnight, floating away on a barge in a carefully timed operation.
Crews worked through the night to align the removal with the tide, marking a major milestone in the demolition of the 80-year-old structure.
Kevin Burke, deputy project director for the Bridgewater Bridge, confirmed the operation went to plan.
“Overnight they were successful in moving a crane on a barge through to sit underneath the lifting span of the old bridge,” Burke told Local Radio.
“With the rising tide, they were able to lift it off of the bridge supports and successfully moved it out of the way.”
The lifting span, including its control room, has been temporarily placed on a barge in the river before being brought ashore, where it will be dismantled and recycled as scrap metal.
“The majority of the material is going to be recycled for use elsewhere in the community,” Burke said.
The demolition will continue in stages, with two “flanking spans” and the towers to be removed in coming weeks using similar barge-based methods.
While some concrete elements will be removed using more traditional demolition methods, Burke said parts of the bridge will be preserved.
“One of those will be removed, the other three are going to be retained for heritage interpretation,” he said.
The bridge, built in 1946, was heritage-listed but had deteriorated to a point where replacement became necessary.
As part of the planning approvals, a comprehensive heritage interpretation strategy was developed.
“We’ve got a website that you can find online for the history and heritage of the area,” Burke said, adding that interpretive signage, trails and artworks are also planned.
River access remains restricted within the active demolition zone, with mariners advised to check MAST notices for current conditions.
Full, unrestricted access is expected to resume by mid-year, once demolition work is complete.
