Pedestrian bridge to receive a facelift

The Southbank Pedestrian Bridge will close for two weeks in June for major maintenance works.

With a sum of $150,000 allocated towards the project in the City of Melbourne’s budget released on May 7, a council spokesperson said works would soon get underway.

“The Southbank Pedestrian Bridge will be closed for at least two weeks in June, depending on the weather, while re-decking works are undertaken,” the spokesperson said.

The bridge has been the subject of ongoing maintenance works in recent months, with many reports suggesting that the growing weight of “love-locks” was impacting on the structural integrity of the bridge.

The City of Melbourne spokesperson quashed these fears stating that only locks, which interlocked multiple wires, had been removed.

“The City of Melbourne regularly monitors the bridge to ensure that locks do not pose a safety risk to the public, and has removed some locks that were interlocking two horizontal wires creating safety barrier issues.”

The footbridge has also been the victim of a number of vandal attacks over the past few months with locks being removed and left scattered on the walkway.

The bridge will close for maintenance works from June 1.

The City of Melbourne is now calling on public feedback for the bridge’s proposed renaming to the Evan Walker Bridge.

Evan Walker, who passed away in February, was a former Labor Planning Minister who is credited with the creation of Southbank.

For more information please refer to the City of Melbourne’s public notice on page 19.