erm akers , ▁fit ters , ▁elect r icians , ▁pl aster ers , ▁car pent ers , ▁pl um bers , ▁and ▁rig gers . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁notice able ▁maintenance ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁bridge ▁involves ▁painting . ▁The ▁steel work ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁that ▁needs ▁to ▁be ▁painted ▁is ▁a ▁combined ▁, ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁si xty ▁football ▁fields . ▁Each ▁coat ▁on ▁the ▁bridge ▁requires ▁some ▁ ▁of ▁paint . ▁A ▁special ▁fast - d ry ing ▁paint ▁is ▁used , ▁so ▁that ▁any ▁paint ▁dro ps ▁have ▁d ried ▁before ▁reaching ▁the ▁vehicles ▁or ▁bridge ▁surface . ▁One ▁notable ▁identity ▁from ▁previous ▁bridge - p ain ting ▁cre ws ▁is ▁Australian ▁com ed ian ▁and ▁actor ▁Paul ▁Hog an , ▁who ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁bridge ▁painter ▁before ▁rising ▁to ▁media ▁fame ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁the ▁Ro ads ▁& ▁Tra ffic ▁Author ity ▁began ▁completely ▁rep ain ting ▁the ▁southern ▁approach ▁sp ans ▁of ▁the ▁bridge . ▁This ▁involved ▁removing ▁the ▁old ▁lead - based ▁paint , ▁and ▁rep ain ting ▁the ▁ ▁of ▁steel ▁below ▁the ▁deck . ▁Work ers ▁operated ▁from ▁self - cont ained ▁platforms ▁below ▁the ▁deck , ▁with ▁each ▁platform ▁having ▁an ▁air ▁extra ction ▁system ▁to ▁filter ▁air bor ne ▁particles . ▁An ▁ab ras ive ▁bl ast ing ▁was ▁used , ▁with ▁the ▁lead ▁waste ▁collected ▁and ▁safely ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁site ▁for ▁dispos al . ▁ ▁Between ▁December ▁