Noisy bridge no more

The City of Melbourne will invest nearly half a million dollars to fix noise and structural issues on Evan Walker Bridge.

A spokesperson for the City of Melbourne said it planned to construct additional supports for the decking on the bridge at a cost of $446,778.

Having invested $150,000 in 2015 to replace the former timber decking, which saw the bridge closed for nearly a month, the new fibre-reinforced polymer decking immediately drew noise complaints upon completion.

While council has made a number of efforts since to fix the problem, the noise from the loose planks has continued.

A council spokesperson said the geometry of the bridge and heavy pedestrian traffic had led to the planks flexing and creating noise.

“Around six months ago, we successfully installed increased supports in a section of the bridge. In May 2019, we will start extending these works for the entire length of the bridge,” the spokesperson said.

“The works will be completed from underneath the bridge, requiring access from the water, so we are seeking approvals from Parks Victoria.”