Drakeford Drive bridge of shame to be repainted

Sorry but for some reason my post automatically included the last parenthesis as part of the URL to the pics so just remove the ‘)’ to get the pic.

Slightly off-topic but if you want watch shenanigans that go with contractors under ACT government projects, take a look at the *work* on the bike-only path along Marcus Clarke St. Here is just some of what I have witnessed over the past couple months as a pedestrian:

1. they have laid concrete and then dug it up again to lay the audible pedestrian bubbles for the sight-impaired which I assume they knew had to be put there before the concrete (see https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4540663/CameraZOOM-20130204151314245.jpg)

2. they have laid bitumen and then dug it up again at various spots to either replace a service conduits or to install new light poles

3. they *appear* to have installed a second set of street lights on the same light poles but lower than the standard to what I assume is to light up the bike-only paths but the lights are facing the wrong direction so instead the lights will light up dirt and trees – will try and take some photos

4. they have created different widths of bike only path between University Av and Farrell Pl and the path is not in a straight line for that block on both sides of Marcus Clarke St — of course it might be skewed for some proper reason but buggered if I can work it out

5. the bike path itself is not technically on-road but an extension to the footpath because it is at footpath height instead of what I thought would be the universally accepted (international) standard of having bike-only paths at road level separated by concrete median which is exactly what the yet unused bike-only path has been built like along the new part of Eyre St Kingston Foreshore (read: no consistency or standard in bike-only path construction)

6. it looks like they cut too much road out near Ellery Cres for about 20 mtrs and had to fill it in again (ACTION seemed pretty pi$$ed as their route 3 buses couldn’t make the turns and from what I observed they had an inspector go out to the contractors and monitor the construction)

7. they laid concrete nr Farrell Pl and then had to dig it up again to lay pipes in a trench I assume they knew had to be put there before the concrete

8. nr University Av intersection they were digging under the road and left large orange pipes strewn all over the footpath with no safety barriers and no consideration to pedestrians or cyclists, numerous trip hazards (see https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4540663/CameraZOOM-20130212105029484.jpg).

All I can say is that they have taken the most expensive and most complicated way to get a bike-only path built. I am all for the path but certainly not like this. I just hope they don’t try and paint it orange.

Woahhh 12 month warranty on a bridge? What did they buy it at target?

Surely a bridge would have a much longer warranty? Its a flaming bridge… over traffic.

Hopefully TAMS swiped their flybuys when they got it too.

Holden Caulfield said :

Canberracanuck said :

Why do contractors think it’s okay to take short-cuts on goverment contracts? They’re not cheating the “gub’ment”, they are ripping off their neighbours! Where do people think the money comes from?

Because they’re braindead selfish pricks who can’t think a moment beyond their own pitiful existence.

I’m not bitter. Much.

I’m not bitter. Much. Too.

schmeah said :

. . I do defend the work of excellent, reliable contractors/tradies at every opportunity but seriously, some are just rubbish and they know it, they just hope they can get away with it. The worst bit is they give the whole industry a bad name. . .

+1

Jivrashia said :

“The defective sections of paint are currently being removed”

There are fective sections?

Any takers on how long those will last?

yeah well here’s another one you can blame on global warming. The paint probably peeled because it cured too quickly; get a few kids with spray cans – their work seems to last alright!

tim_c said :

So the whole of Drakeford drive will be slowed to 40km/h for a half kilometre before and after the bridge for six months while they repaint it?

Plus one lane closed in each direction….

So the whole of Drakeford drive will be slowed to 40km/h for a half kilometre before and after the bridge for six months while they repaint it?

schmeah said :

Was painting the bridge a genuinely complicated task after properly taking into account the material to be painted and the weather exposure .. ??

It was for the artist who painted the owl…

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/owl-flies-off-for-paint-repairs-20120420-1xd05.html

thatsnotme said :

Canberracanuck said :

Why do contractors think it’s okay to take short-cuts on goverment contracts? They’re not cheating the “gub’ment”, they are ripping off their neighbours! Where do people think the money comes from?

Why do you automatically assume that the contractor did take short-cuts? Is it not possible that they’re as surprised as anyone else that the work is so poor? Besides, what possible benefit would the contractor gain by doing a bad job on something so obvious as paint, when they will almost certainly then have to revisit the job and re-do it at their own expense? Incompetence doesn’t have to mean there’s something dodgy going on.

At least the cleanup should be easy…half the job’s already done.

I do defend the work of excellent, reliable contractors/tradies at every opportunity but seriously, some are just rubbish and they know it, they just hope they can get away with it. The worst bit is they give the whole industry a bad name.

Was painting the bridge a genuinely complicated task after properly taking into account the material to be painted and the weather exposure .. ??