Iron Cove Bridge geotechnical drilling

The geotech investigation of the muck next to the Iron Cove Bridge seems to be going well. When I went past last week, the barge with the drill rig was on this side of the Bay. Now, it is right over the other side near the swimming pool that will presumably be demolished to make way for a new bridge.



The protesters are up in arms about the drilling going ahead, accusing the government of bad faith etc, but the reality is that any bonehead with half a brain can see that there is only one place to put the bridge, and that's on the side of the bridge where they are currently doing the drilling. Building on the other side would involve demolishing a lot of expensive real estate, and it ain't going to happen.

But it's typical of the nutters opposing the bridge that they'd rather see $10 million worth of apartments and houses demolished than about 1/4 acre of a park and a swimming pool.

Personally, I think the bridge is the stupidest solution to the traffic problem around here. What's really needed is a tunnel under the Darling St intersection, but building that would cause immense traffic confusion for a few years. Building a bridge is the smart political solution - it won't be finished before the next election, it will not disrupt traffic as much as a tunnel, and the local Labor MPs can point to it and say, "Look, we're doing something" - even if they are doing something stupid.

Iron Cove Bridge geotechnical survey work

Those that are not too fond of the idea of another bridge at Iron Cove have been busy putting up signs and spraying a bit of paint around. This bit of road vandalism reads "4 lane bridge here", and is meant to symbolise a new bridge cutting through this park.

As if I give a toss - the park is big enough to donate a bit of land to a new bridge.



Whilst I was checking out the spray paint on the road, I noticed this barge parked in the harbour. With a drilling truck on it of all things. I read in the paper recently that the geotechnical surveys had started, and the protesters were of course up in arms about it, muttering darkly about conspiracy theories and the like.

Must remember to go to the next protest rally and hand out tinfoil hats. I want another bridge because I want a decent cycle lane across the harbour. The RTA is never going to close a car lane and hand it over to bikes - that would be madness, so we might as well get a new bridge and hope for the best.



The barge appears to have been anchored to the bridge pylons with a couple of cables, and I presume there are some other anchors strung out to the left to keep the barge in place. It was awful quiet when I went past, so I presume drilling had finished for the day.



I have a fair idea of what they will find - layer after layer of discarded shopping trolleys, drinking straws, cigarette butts and McDonalds food wrappers. And the odd bit of mud and rock.

White Bay Hotel

Too bad if you are feeling thirsty on the way to work - this is one pub that has not served beer in a long time. I guess this is where the wharfies that used to work at White Bay would have had a drink when the wharves were packed with bludgers stealing cargo and skimming overtime. Not the place I probably would have chosen for a refreshing ale.



The smoke stacks of the old White Bay powerstation can be seen jutting up behind the hotel, and the grey monstrosity to the left rear of the pub is part of the powerstation building - broken windows and all.

If this was London, the powerstation would have been redeveloped into an art gallery and the pub would be a very flash gastro-pub by now serving lambs brains with black pudding. But it is Sydney, and stuff like this is left to rot on the edge of the CBD.

I wish they'd flatten the pub, just to widen the footpath so that cyclists and pedestrians could avoid killing each other during the morning and evening rush hours. The footpath alongside Victoria Rd is supposed to be a bike route. It's not. It's a fucking joke, and riding on Victoria Rd is a death wish for anyone but the insanely fit and fittingly insane. The footpath is obstructed with badly placed bus shelters, bins and signs - and it's too narrow in places for one pedestrian to get past the street furniture, let alone someone on a bike, or a bike and pedestrian trying to get past each other.

Flattening this useless old pub could provide a bit more path width at a spot where it is particularly narrow and stupid. But I suppose it is protected by some sort of heritage order or green ban. That's irony for you. Cycling, a green form of transport, is being heniously held up by a green ban on a building that no one likes or wants.

Modern fucking life in all its stupid glory.