George Street Vehicle Bridge Renewal

March 2024 Update

We are pleased to provide a construction update on the renewal of the George Street Vehicle Bridge, which has now been awarded to a contractor.

This means that you may see preliminary works commencing on site, with full site establishment and works occurring after Easter the week of Tuesday 2 April. This establishment will include sediment control measures downstream and safeguarding of significant trees which will be monitored throughout the project by an experienced arborist.

Removal of non-regulated trees downstream of the creek will take place commencing the week of Monday 8 April.

Demolition of the existing bridge is scheduled to occur after Monday 29 April. This will involve road closure at the bridge site, so detours will be in place for local traffic, and we appreciate your patience.

The surface re-design, as supported by Council in December 2023, is nearing completion and will be presented to the community shortly. This will prioritise pedestrian connectivity between Delwood Reserve and J.W. Morris Reserve, native planting along the riverbank to replace the removed exotic trees downstream of the bride, and raingardens and planting areas to green the area. This will likely match the plantings that were undertaken adjacent Mitcham Library up-stream, subject to further input from the community.

Full Council Meeting 12 December 2023

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Future of George Street vehicle bridge, Hawthorn. We are pleased to share a further project update with you.

At the Full Council meeting held on 12 December 2023, Council supported to retain two-way traffic flow on George Street, Hawthorn, and recognised the community's desire to deliver an outcome which enhances the environmental outcomes of the project and prioritises pedestrian access. A petition was also submitted at this meeting, and will be presented to Council at the Full Council meeting on 23 January 2024. Agendas and minutes can be viewed on our website here.

We are currently revising the design to enhance connectivity between Delwood Reserve and JWS Morris Reserve. The updated plan prioritises pedestrians and cyclists while maintaining vehicle access over the George Street bridge. The concept plan can be viewed on our Your Say page.

The draft concept plan includes a zebra crossing and kerbing to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. We are also considering treatments at the Cameron Road and Clifton Street intersection with contrasting street print or paving. This concept allows for an improved verge area with low-lying plantings beneath existing street trees.

Full Council Meeting 10 October 2023

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Future of George Street vehicle bridge, Hawthorn.

Feedback from the community was presented to Council Members at the Full Council Meeting on 10 October 2023. At this meeting, Council supported retaining two-way traffic on George Street, Hawthorn, renewing the George Street vehicle bridge and removing 11 non-regulated trees as part of the bridge replacement. More details can be found by viewing the Full Council Meeting Agenda and Minutes available in the documents tab on the right.

The feedback we received indicated a high priority to improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists between Delwood Reserve and J.W. Morris Reserve extending through to the Mitcham Memorial Library. As part of the works we are investigating a re-design of the surface treatment of the road to improve this connection. This may result in a zebra crossing, wombat crossing, raised intersection, contrasting paving, and/or additional verge areas for greening and we will be seeking further feedback from the community on these options.

Our first step is to undertake a tendering process, to seek a contractor to carry out the renewal of the vehicle bridge.

We are committed to keeping you informed and this page will be updated as the project progresses and a letter will be sent via Australia Post to local residents once a contractor has been selected.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.

Background

We invited residents to provide feedback on the future of the George Street Vehicle Bridge in Hawthorn as decided by Council at its meeting held on 14 March 2023.

As you may be aware, the condition of the vehicle bridge has deteriorated, and temporary weight limits have been put in place. We are monitoring the bridge closely and will take further action if required to maintain its structural integrity.

What are the options?

There are two design options under consideration to manage the bridge:

• Option A – Retain two-way traffic flow on George Street, Hawthorn by renewing the George Street vehicle bridge.
• Option B – Close George Street, Hawthorn to vehicle traffic at the George Street vehicle bridge site by removing the vehicle bridge and replacing it with a pedestrian bridge.

More Information

The 14 March 2023 Council Report is included in the documents tab to the right hand side of this page. This report includes detailed background information in relation to this proposal.

The FAQs tab to the right of the page includes more information in a question and answer format.

If you require any further information on the proposed options, please contact Jack Fanning, Senior Project Engineer via email yoursay@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au or on 1300 133 466.