Bridge paint job on target
Scaffolding being set up on the bridge.
Work to repaint and maintain Cambridge’s Victoria Street Bridge is forging ahead, with contractors having reached the main arch span of the bridge.
Waipā District Council group manager – service delivery Dawn Inglis said the team has made such fast progress on section two, that section three has now been scaffolded in preparation for work to move down.
“This is where things get interesting,” Inglis said. “Section three is where we reach the bridge archway, where the bridge starts to leave the bank and move out over the river.”
“At this point the set up becomes more complex, as the scaffolding arrangement needs to be suspended from the bridge.”
As work continues towards the bridge centre, crews will begin working on smaller sections. This means less scaffolding, and therefore weight, on the bridge at any one time.
The first section of the bridge (on the Cambridge town side) was completed in late March, with the final coat of paint and a layer of anti-graffiti coating added. As each section is completed, bird spikes will be installed to help protect the bridge against future damage from corrosive bird poo.
“As well as taking measures to stop pigeons from perching, we’re using a special corrosion-resistant ‘moisture-cured urethane’ paint – the same type used to coat North sea oil rigs.”
This long-lasting paint will form a protective layer over the steel, preventing rust, corrosion and graffiti, and keeping it in good condition.
Each section of the bridge is expected to take around three weeks to repaint, depending on the weather. The wider project began in late 2022 and will wrap up in January 2024.
