Where will all the timber go, long time a’standin?

One of our regular readers, Will Dallison, recently wrote to us explaining he was interested to know if the Shipping News has heard any whispers about what Main Roads WA intend on doing with the timber from the Old Traffic Bridge following dismantling.

If Peter Paul and Mary had asked the same question in a 60s song, they might have asked, ‘Where will all the timber go, long time a’standin’?’

Will says that as a lifelong Fremantle and East Fremantle resident with several artistic timber working friends he would love a chance to obtain a lump through fair means for repurposing as a small piece of verge street furniture around Freo, as a memorial to the Old Bridge, if you will.

We’re sure others will be as curious as Will to know the answer and would support Will’s repurposing suggestion.

Well, following our timber inquiry of them, Main Roads have just advised –

* The Fremantle Bridges Alliance is currently developing a plan to safely remove the existing bridge while minimising environmental impact.
* Over the years, chemicals have been used to preserve the bridge timbers.
* Main Roads plans to re-use timbers that are in good condition for works on other wooden traffic bridges in WA.
* As a way of celebrating and recording the heritage of the bridge, Main Roads are undertaking a 3D digital capture of the bridge to ensure there is a record of the bridge structure for future generations.
* The traffic bridge is predominantly made up of Wandoo.

One can understand some of the timber may be unsuitable for reuse due to chemical contamination, or because it has just rotted way, and that some of the good stuff might sensibly be reused on other Main Roads timber bridges to save taxpayer dollars. And that some might perhaps be shared with ‘stakeholders’ like City of Fremantle and Fremantle Ports. But we would also hope that some of the reusable Wandoo and any jarrah might be made available to Freo people to do with the sorts of things Will has in mind.

While a 3D photographic capture of the bridge will be good to have, so would some repurposed Bridge timber artwork by Freo folk here and there around Freo to remember what used to be.

It’s one thing to dismantle our Old Bridge. It’s entirely something else to spirit away all the remains to some bridge too far from Freo.

C’mon Main Roads, time for a generous rethink. You can do it. We know you can!

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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