A Brimbank resident has expressed concern about the stability of a Sunshine footbridge, saying it “felt like a little earthquake” when she crossed it.
Sunshine West mother Marina Bear said the HV McKay pedestrian bridge moved when she was crossing with her pram early last week.
“It bounced … it bowed down and then up like a wave,” Mrs Bear said.
The bridge, opened in January last year, crosses the railway tracks between HV McKay Memorial Gardens and Harvester Road.
“It was so obvious that people walking in the opposite direction also stopped and looked down,” Mrs Bear said.
“My husband said bridges do flex a bit, but it seemed excessive.”
The wind speed on that day was an average of 17.6km/h, with a high of 38.9km/h.
The Regional Rail Link Authority (RRLA), which built the footbridge, said it was structurally sound.
“It’s important to understand that all bridges are designed to flex,” a spokesman said. “This provides it with greater structural strength than a completely rigid design.”
The bridge can withstand about 93 tonnes of weight. “The bridge meets the Australian Standard for bridge design, which include requirements for wind loadings, pedestrian loadings and even earthquakes,” the spokesman said.
