Works have commenced on the site of the new Spring Creek Bridge on the Kamilaroi Highway in north-west NSW near Narrabri.
Site establishment and demolition of the current bridge structure will occur prior to the start of piling works for the new 64 metre-long bridge.
Saunders Civilbuild, from south of Newcastle, has been confirmed as the successful contractor to build the bridge. Piling is expected to use more than 260 cubic metres of locally sourced concrete and around 60 tonnes of steel reinforcement while it is anticipated that the entire project will use more than 720 cubic metres of concrete and 140 tonnes of steel reinforcement.
The existing Spring Creek Bridge is an eight-cell cast in situ reinforced concrete box culvert structure built in 1968, according to Transport for NSW. Now 56 years old it is in poor condition after decades of heavy vehicle traffic.
TfNSW West director Alistair Lunn said the existing bridge has been subject to restriction to heavy vehicles and detours to allow for essential safety work to be carried out to stabilise the structure.
“The new Spring Creek Bridge will be a stronger, wider structure that meets modern design standards along with current and future road network requirements … [and] will also improve access for freight and, ultimately, provide greater travel efficiency for all users in the area,” Mr Lunn explained.
The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic towards the end of 2025.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.