Patawalonga South Gates Christmas shut down

Christmas shutdown

The Patawalonga South Gates worksite will shut down for Christmas from Saturday 21 December and Sunday 5 January. There will be no boat lock closures during this time.

McMahons Services will secure the worksite before shutdown and reinforce the temporary walkway to ensure ongoing safe usage for the anticipated high level of pedestrian traffic during this time.

Boat lock closures

The South Gates boat lock will remain open during the worksite closure period.

Scheduled boat lock closures outside of the Christmas closure period remain unchanged (10am – 2pm Monday to Thursday, and 11am – 2pm on Fridays).

Boat operators may have noticed that the ramps that allow trucks access to the worksite are not always in use during the scheduled closure times. In cases when ramps are not in place, boats can access the lock, except during crane lifts when the lock will be closed to ensure safety. Boat operators are advised to plan their use of the lock outside of scheduled closure times to guarantee access.

New winches

Have you seen something new atop the upper barrage structure? These are the winches that will help to make the new South Gates more efficient. While the old gates use counterweights to enable an easier lift, the winches will hoist the redesigned lighter-weight gates up, without the use of counterweights.

Temporary walkway

The temporary walkway is now well-trodden by locals and visitors to the Pat. The project team would like to remind users that cyclists must dismount when using the walkway for their safety and the safety of all users.

Walkway users recently asked the City of Holdfast Bay whether McMahons Services can reinstate walkway access over the weekend. Unfortunately, this is not possible as the scaffolding used to access the upper barrage restricts space in this area, and associated safety risks make this unsuitable for pedestrian traffic.

We thank the community for their cooperation in using the temporary walkway safely and for their patience during boat lock use.