M2 Kirkham Bridge Project Intentions

All sorts of people are asking for information about the M2 Project's intentions for the road bridge over the M2 between Murray Farm Road and Kirkham St. I have today had a reply from the project, presumably giving the latest known intentions, and it states "The traffic management arrangements for the bridge works are still being finalised. These arrangements will (be) approved by the Roads and Traffic Authority in consultation with Hornsby Shire Council".

One hopes that the RTA is examining in detail why it will take 22 months to alter the spans of the bridge, exactly as long as it will take to widen the whole 21 km section of the motorway. This sounds an implausible coincidence to me.

Good project management would put priority onto widening the spans early, to give more clearance for the widening and other work taking place below, and also incidentally to restore full use of the bridge to the local residents.

If the project insists that early completion, and hence full opening of the bridge, is not possible, then one has to conclude there are other reasons for closing one lane of the road for the duration of the project, such as a desire to use the closed lane of the bridge for purposes not currently announced or approved. No such other reasons have yet been published. In the interests of their ratepayers, Hornsy Shire Council needs to examine this issue urgently.