The Ison Road Overpass project is getting closer towards its expected completion in late 2025.
In a new milestone, the project team recently installed the overpass’s central pier columns and crosshead with the help of a 400-tonne crane.
Sitting atop the columns, the crosshead will provide sturdy support for the beams and deck of the overpass bridge.
Local supplier WestKon precast the crosshead’s five pieces from concrete and steel at the company’s premises in nearby Cobblebank, minimising transport requirements.
The Victorian Government has utilised Westkon’s services for several projects, with over 400 beams commissioned across the M80 Upgrade, the Monash Freeway Upgrade, the South Gippsland Highway Realignment and the Mordialloc Freeway.
With the crosshead pieces totalling 185 tonnes, the lift and installation process was completed over two days in late August.
In October, the project team will lift into place the 30 concrete beams onto the central crosshead and the bridge’s two abutments.
Once placed, the beams will effectively connect the project’s northern and southern sides and provide a base on which to build the bridge’s roadway.
The four lane Ison Road Overpass will extend over the Melbourne-Geelong railway line to help provide Wyndham West’s community with a direct link to the Princes Freeway.
Future-proofed for six lanes, it will help give residents access to surrounding areas and minimise traffic in central Werribee, reducing congestion and improving journey reliability.
The project’s opportunities for active transport will include shared walking and cycling paths over the bridge and a cycling path underneath the bridge.
Once complete, the Ison Road Overpass is set to cater for nearly 29,000 vehicles a day by 2036.
Image: Victorian Government