Construction for the Redcliffe Bridge in Perth has reached the northern side of the Swan River, with 17 bridge segments now installed.
This project is being constructed as part of the jointly-funded Tonkin Gap Project.
A total of 17 bridge segments, made from 3,000 cubic metres of concrete, were used to construct the new 310m-long structure.
The concrete segments were cast on-site and connected to the previous section before being launched using an incremental process that pushes the segments forward on sliding bearings using hydraulics.
Each segment moved up to 18m every two to three weeks, taking ten months to complete.
Works will continue on the new bridge, including the placement of fill and pavement to connect the road to the new structure, traffic barriers, noise walls and the connection of the new pedestrian and cyclist path.
When complete, the bridge will have six lanes of traffic with four additional lanes for commuters to get to and from Great Eastern Highway.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said this project will improve freight efficiency, connectivity and travel time for commuters on this key freight network.
“This is a key part of the Tonkin Gap Project, which will improve road safety and reduce congestion, meaning locals can spend more time at home and less time stuck in traffic,” Ms King said.
Other works on the project that are progressing well include a new loop ramp at Great Eastern Highway for commuters coming onto Tonkin Highway from the east to travel north.
Once complete this will provide free flowing access to Tonkin Highway.
Federal Member for Swan, Zaneta Mascarenhas, said the project will fix a major bottleneck on Tonkin Highway between Morley and Redcliffe.
“This upgrade will benefit locals making the daily work commute and significantly improve the efficiency of Western Australia’s transport hub,” Ms Mascarenhas said.
State Member for Belmont, Cassie Rowe, said, “This section of Tonkin Highway can be very frustrating for drivers who use it daily, with cars frequently banked up from the Great Eastern Highway lights.
“When complete, this will be a much smoother drive and mean less time on the road, and more time with friends and family.”
The project recently installed the final bridge beams at Guildford Road and Railway Parade, with another 18 bridge beams to be installed at Broun Avenue later this year.
All 92 bridge beams for the project are manufactured by local company Georgiou Group at its precast yard in Hazelmere.
In late-July 2022, the project will be removing the old footbridge and installing a new footbridge over Tonkin Highway at Victoria Street in Belmont.
This forms part of the upgraded pedestrian shared path between Dunreath Drive and Railway Parade.
Work is continuing well on the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line throughout Tonkin Highway.
This includes piling works which are progressing on the northern dive, concrete currently being poured for the base slab on the southern dive, and retaining walls to start being constructed in late June on Broun Avenue.
Western Australian Minister for Transport, Planning and Ports, Rita Saffioti, said when complete, the Tonkin Gap Project will be a game changer for the eastern suburbs, slashing travel times and improving congestion.
“This area is a well-known pinch point that carries 120,000 vehicles daily – when the project is completed, we anticipate this will slash travel times for afternoon drivers by up to eleven minutes,” Ms Saffioti said.
“As part of this project, we have constructed the new Redcliffe Bridge by using an incremental hydraulics process over the past ten months.
“We are also delivering key works for the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line, which will be another game-changing travel option for commuters.”
Redcliffe Bridge is anticipated to open to traffic in the first quarter of 2023.
