Community & Business
3 May, 2024
Bridges set to close for repair works
SIX single-lane bridges on the Gulf Developmental Road (GDR) and Kennedy Developmental Road (KDR) will undergo deck resurfacing this month.
The works will be carried out on single lane bridges on the KDR at Hospital Creek and on the GDR at Sandy Creek, Sisters Creek and Sisters Creek Anabranch, McMillan Creek and Charles Gully.
To enable the works, the bridges at Hospital Creek, Sisters Creek and Sisters Creek Anabranch, McMillan Creek and Charles Gully will be closed between 7.30am and 5pm from Monday to Friday, starting on Tuesday 7 May and finishing on Tuesday 4 June.
In Georgetown, works on Sandy Creek Bridge and the road between George and High Streets will require single lane closures and speed reductions between 7.30am and 5pm from 14 May to 3 June.
Department of Transport and Main Roads North Queensland acting regional director Kylee Peterson said the works would be carried out in stages across all sites over several days to streamline the process and minimise disruptions to motorists.
“TMR understands the impact these works have on residents and business as well as freight operators in this region,” she said.
“These works are challenging because the bridges are single lanes, so they must be closed as the construction process will occupy the entire width of the bridge.
“Initially, an excavator removes the existing bridge surface. Work crews then apply a primer to the bridge surface to create a strong bond for the bitumen. The primer is a tacky substance that takes several hours to dry.
“The bitumen is then rolled over the primer. The bitumen can take several hours to lay and compact before traffic can be permitted onto the bridge surface."
