Anyone who relies on crossing a bridge for their daily commute knows that it can be frustrating when it is closed for repair. Australian residents who rely on the Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway have been feeling this frustration and may continue to as the local government delayed last week's reopening of the bridge after a recent and costly revamp.

Infrastructure Minister, David O'Byrne, announced the delayed reopening after a hydraulic cylinder on the rail-lock system showed signs of malfunction. The contractors who did the work were asked to return to the site for further investigation.

This setback caused outrage from Tasmanians who feel their tax dollars are being wasted. Tim Morris, spokesman for Greens infrastructure, said "Tasmanians deserve to know why millions of dollars of their money has been spent on a bridge which, for all intents and purposes, still hasn't been fixed to fully operational status…. I shudder to think of the possibility that the bridge opens one day and gets stuck in the air causing massive traffic backlogs."

Source: Hydraulics & Pneumatics