Bridge bungle: How German-built repair cranes for Sydney’s famed arches got stuck in storage

September 7, 2026 — 5:00amTwo specialist cranes built in Germany for critical maintenance on the highest parts of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are gathering dust in storage in the city’s west due to major delays installing them on the famed coathanger’s arches.Even after NSW transport department officials twice flew to Germany two years ago to look at how to fit them to the bridge, the maintenance units have been left in storage near Blacktown since the first arrived in Sydney in late 2024, followed by the second about eight months later.A render of one of the arch maintenance units for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.Transport for NSWThe delay in installing the specialist arch maintenance units comes as pressure mounts on Transport for NSW to carry out major repair work, including painting, before the Harbour Bridge’s centenary in less than six years.The transport agency awarded a contract in 2018 to develop and supply the two arch maintenance units for the Harbour Bridge, which were meant to replace four units on its arches.The four that had been on the bridge since the late 1990s, which had replaced the original units, were removed in 2021 after reaching the end of their service life. Three were scrapped and one was placed in storage for heritage reasons.Transport for NSW officials flew to Germany twice in 2024 to inspect the two replacement maintenance units at the factory where they were built in Bavaria by a division of Germany’s Alimak Group.The Sydney Harbour Bridge’s centenary is in less than six years.Dominic LorrimerOne of the justifications for the trips paid for by the manufacturer was to “ensure it can be installed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a safe and efficient manner”, according to post-travel reports by the agency.The trips also “enabled staff to witness and document trial installations” of the units at the factory, which “replicated conditions on the Sydney Harbour Bridge”.Despite this, their installation on the world’s tallest steel arch bridge, which will require its temporary closure, remains in limbo.Greens transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said the saga had all the hallmarks of an expensive bureaucratic stuff-up that demanded answers from the roads minister.“How is it that transport officials travelled overseas on multiple occasions to observe testing including trial installation exercises and reported back that everything was fine, only to identify issues when they’ve been delivered?” she asked.The maintenance units are meant to travel up and down the bridge’s arches on tracks.Transport for NSW“This smacks of incompetence and someone has to be held accountable. With the centenary quickly closing, it’s vital that the essential maintenance work on the bridge isn’t disrupted.”Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the government’s main priority was for maintenance and painting programs to continue without interruption.“There was a lack of regular maintenance work on the Sydney Harbour Bridge under the former government. We are ensuring it is ready for centenary celebrations in 2032,” she said.Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said the specialist kit for the bridge required significant engineering and installation work to be able to carry out their intended purpose. “This must be done while not losing any time on the bridge maintenance work itself,” he said.Murray said the agency was investigating options for the “complex task of implementing” the units while minimising disruption to general maintenance work and daily operations of the bridge.“While they form part of a long-term strategy for the bridge, they are not able to be installed immediately so the priority is for other elements of the maintenance and painting program that kicked off in 2024,” he said.The specialist equipment is a hybrid between a gantry crane and building maintenance units. It is designed to provide access to crews; lifting capability; and a working platform on the bridge. Once installed – one unit on either side of the arch – they will travel up and down the arches on tracks.An environmental review in early 2020 estimated that the plan to install the two new arch maintenance units would start in 2021 and that it could take up to five years to complete.The agency said the final cost of the maintenance units would be determined once the installation timeline had been confirmed.It is nearly two years into an eight-year program to paint more than 150,000 square metres of steel – about a third of the bridge – for its centenary in 2032.“This program has already delivered a 10 per cent decrease in corrosion on the bridge, which is now down to around 3 per cent of the total structure,” Murray said.A 16-tonne structure has been attached to the underside of the bridge to give maintenance crews access to parts that are difficult to reach.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.From our partners