A leading engineer has warned the steel cable-stay bridge that will carry thousands of WA sports fans to the new Perth stadium at Burswood could collapse into the Swan River because it hasn't been approved by local engineers as structurally sound.
The $54 million distinctive ribbon bridge - being made in Malaysia with Chinese steel - is set to become a new Perth landmark, linking pedestrians to the new stadium.
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Perth Stadium hits the turf
There's going to be more than 17,000 square metres of turf for the Perth Stadium playing surface.
The bridge will be 65 metres at its highest point, stretch 400m from bank to bank and was designed to give people a seamless walk to the $2 billion stadium from the city.
But Association of Professional Engineers CEO Chris Walton said there was a real danger the bridge could collapse into the Swan River with thousands of people on it.
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He said he was concerned the welds may not be strong enough to hold the bridge together.
"And that's too scary to think about, given the thousands of lives that would be at risk," he told Radio 6PR's Breakfast program.
"What we know is this: the Malaysian bridge with Chinese steel... our members have great concerns whether that bridge is structurally sound.
"Given that the bridge will be carrying up to 14,000 people during an event, it's an extreme concern.
"You need to ensure the integrity of a weld and at the moment in Western Australia there is no requirement for a local engineer to sign off on structural integrity (of something constructed overseas)."
Mr Walton said the Barnett government needed to come clean on the bridge safety issue as it was putting WA lives at risk.
"In Western Australia, it's the only state in the country that anyone can call themselves an engineer and there is no requirement for a local sign off for an overseas engineering job such as this," he said.
"And what we understand is a local contractor is happy to rely on a Malaysian sign off.
What we know is this: the Malaysian bridge with Chinese steel... our members have great concerns whether that bridge is structurally sound.
"Our members, and we are raising this today out of concern, say that unless you get a local engineer that is able to sign off on the integrity (of the bridge), we have real concerns about the integrity of those welds.
"What I'm about to say is pretty significant, our members are taking a great risk, but they are driven by their ethics and concern for community safety."
A Main Roads spokesman refuted Mr Walton's claims the bridge would be structurally unsound.
"It is also disappointing and surprising that APEA would criticise engineering expertise in Australia," the statement said.
"Quality control for the fabrication of the bridge is assured with professionals from the Welding Technology Institute of Australia on site in Malaysia to oversee the work. In addition the contractor also has its own experts monitoring quality of the work.
"These controls will ensure the bridge meets Australian engineering standards - Main Roads will not accept a sub-standard product."
Main Roads said the first of three sections of the bridge would be delivered in April or May this year with the other two sections to follow.
"Western Australian industry was provided with full, fair and reasonable opportunity to participate in the procurement process for the steel fabrication and did so," the spokesman said.
"There are steel sections which cannot be supplied from Australian steel mills which were sourced from overseas and required to meet Australian Standards."
Labor treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt said the Barnett government hadn't put West Australians first by outsourcing the bridge overseas.
"The failure to stick to the budget, the failure to stick to the timeframe and the failure to secure local Western Australian jobs with that significant spend of public money is just another example of what has been a Liberal government that hasn't put Western Australian's first," he said on Sunday.
"[It] hasn't created every opportunity for every dollar spent to ensure Western Australians get job opportunities."
In December, WAtoday first reported the chances of an Ashes Test opening the Perth Stadium had been bowled over by the Barnett government because the steel bridge wouldn't be ready in time.
But a spokesman for Transport Minister Bill Marmion denied the chance of hosting the Ashes Test was on shaky ground because of delays to the bridge and train station.
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