Last month, the Clarence Valley Independent received and published a letter from a concerned resident regarding the current condition of the Grafton Bridge.
Mike Gorrie from Grafton identified the iconic local infrastructure as being of identical vintage to the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, albeit in poorer condition.
Referencing a recent segment on Channel 9 featuring the continuous maintenance undertaken on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where up to 90 tradespersons are permanently employed to care for its upkeep, Mr Gorrie revealed the footage he saw confirmed it as being in “as new” condition.
In his letter, Mr Gorrie lamented the lack of maintenance carried out on the Grafton Bridge in recent years, stating the community was assured of its undergoing major work including repainting when the second river crossing in Grafton was opened to traffic.
Mr Gorrie called on the Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis to inform the community “what is planned and when it will happen” in regard to maintenance work on the Grafton Bridge via our publication.
When approached for comment, the Clarence Valley Independent received the following response from Mr Gulaptis’s office in relation to Mr Gorrie’s concerns:
“The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) maintains a lease on the corridor of track where the old and new Grafton bridges are situated and share the responsibility of operating and maintaining them with Transport for NSW,” said a Transport for NSW spokesperson.
“There are currently no plans for either Transport for NSW nor ARTC to paint the old bridge.
“Transport for NSW regularly inspects the bridge and carries out maintenance work as required including work last year repairing the iron lattice work, replacing road signage and safety barriers, pressure cleaning the concrete kerbs, and parapets and refreshing the line-marking.
“Transport for NSW will continue to maintain the roadway of the bridge and work with ARTC to ensure the old Grafton bridge continues to service the needs of the community for many years to come.”