Questions are answered in the audio.
Transportation Minister Ric McIver: I don't know the exact date of the bridge (we do, 1974) our engineering folks are here, they've given us advice that it's time to do that. The other reason that it needs to be done is for safety, for volume. We are of the belief that when the ring gets fully open the lanes that that we have will not be enough. Large pileups have occurred. It's to create pedestrian and cycle safety as well. It's wiser to take it down and put in another one rather than make an investment on infrastructure with a limited shelf life.
Engineer on construction sequence: Eastbound will be closed and moved to westbound, 2 lanes each direction [that'd require no shoulders]. Eastbound bridge demo'd. Then eastbound will be opened and shifted back. 4 lanes each direction.
That could possibly just be a narrowing of shoulders for the westbound lanes to pick up an extra lane, but McIver said the westbound bridge has a lot of life left (obviously, 2007 build) so it's worth putting the work into it... suggesting the work will be more than just repainting lines.
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